Rook
by Jess.Marie.5
Summary: Winterling, Summerkin, Moonkind fanfiction. Rook is older and looking for something. He feels discontent, but is interrupted by trouble in the form of a dune, a sand monster that creates ways. Does contain shipping. Belongs to Sarah Prineas.
1. 1 Home

Inside, Rook had been laying on the floor for a long time. His back against the cold tile, black hair hanging over the edge of the top stair. One hand under his head, in the other Rook pinched his shifter tooth between two fingers. If he slipped the tooth under his tongue, he would change into a shadowy black dog, but right now he used the tooth to damage the hallway wall.

Little bits of dust floated down while he chipped at a hole in the wall with the edge of the tooth. A block of warm afternoon sunlight came in from the window and stretched across the top of the stairs. Rook soaked it in on his bare skin. He wore his favorite shorts and dirt on his legs.

He listened to barking down stairs, still several floors away. His older brothers invariable concerned that too much time alone caused him harm. They grasped that his mind bother him more than any of the other pucks, Rook acted different, always ready to wonder. But at the end of winter, he had no where he wanted to go. He didn't want to be here or anywhere else. He couldn't tell what he wanted and it made him itch.

Outside, winter had started to end. But Rook, perceived spring would never return. The tree's branches bared tiny red buds and the winds less bitter. Still the snow sat and not just snow, wet snow. It slowed him down while running, making his legs ache from cold. It gave him too much free time. He didn't want to be outside so he stayed inside. He didn't want to go along with his brothers so he found places to hid by himself. He hid by himself and his mind bothered him.

The barking was closer still. He was confident. In the last minute he would pop his shifter tooth under his tongue and still get away. He flipped his tooth over in his hand to scrap down the side of the now fist sized hole.

He listened to the scuffing and padding down the stairs but he was not bothered. Then something sounded wrong, something sounded close. Rook picked his head up and stopped to listen, it was too late.

Rook let out a loud "OMPH" as a black dog leaped onto his chest. The dog chewed playfully on Rooks shoulder as he slid off the edge of the stairs further. Rook pushed at the black dog "curse it Scrap I dropped my shifter tooth." Rook grasped at the floor trying to find the tooth while pushing Scrap away with the other arm.

The black dog let go of his shoulder for a fraction of a second to let out two sharp barks. "Oh scrap, you traitorous pup." Rook growled feeling more urgency in getting Scrap off so he could find his shifter tooth. He knelt on the floor and could see his tooth stuck between the baseboard and the wall. He grunted, Grasped at the end of the board pulling. Why couldn't this be one of the loose boards? It stayed firmly in place. He tried pulling the board off again growling loudly then gasped as he was drug backwards, falling hard onto his stomach. He lifted up his arm and looked under to see Tatter biting the bottom of his shorts, pulling him down the hall. He was getting an awful skin burn on his side from it. Rook put his hand on Tatters furry face and shoved. Jumped up quick with his hands held out in front of him, he backed to the wall. Nine of his closest brothers circled him. Snarling, tails wagging.

It really was about time. He avoided them often and when they found him, he always got away. This time was going to be a challenge.

"Brothers..." Rook fake plea when unheard.

He took a lunge toward the hall. His bare feet slapped the floor loudly. Then a quick turn into an old servants passage from when the High Ones lived in the Nathe. It was a tight space where junk was stored. He pushed over a couple chairs and tall lamp as he ran through. He looked back to see Slasher right behind him bounding over the chairs. Rook ran faster, put his hands out to open the door on the other side. Burst through, slamming the door closed after he was out. Now someone would have to shift to open the door to let the brothers through.

Rook grinned it felt good to run, to have a competition. He sprinted to the staircase, he went down one flight, two flights, three flights of stairs. More winded than he wanted to admit he turned off on this floor jumping over two brothers sleeping in the main room. He heard the thunderous pounding of the chase on the staircase behind him. He stopped for a second to decide were to go. His heart raced. The kitchen was on this floor. That may put them off. He looked back as the pack got off the stairs. He wasn't going to make it to the kitchen.

! Rook ran past several doors at full speed colliding into Rip. Both pucks were now sprawled on the floor. Rook sat up frantically, but it didn't matter. They had him. Tatter sat on his chest and wrapped his jaws around Rooks chin. Someone was biting his wrist. Rook heard the hem of his pants rip off.

"No!No! Get OFF!" Rook flailed. Someone was licking his right foot and he couldn't stifle the laughter. "quite it, No! Stop!"

Asher came out of the kitchen, two doors down. "You pucks finally caught the house rabbit?" Asher bent and ruffled Rooks hair, "better luck next time pup."

Rook knew what he meant. He had been avoiding them and everyone else took it like a game. They came looking and the longer they looked the more it became like a hunt. His brothers had won and went their own ways until all that was left was Scrap and Tatter.

Scrap sat cross legged. "I found you first brother." Scrap was about 8 now. He was the most innocent looking pup.

"yes, you are a true hunter." Rook pushed him over fondly. They both smiled. Rook was happy they had found him. It did his heart good to know they loved him.

Tatter shifted from his dog form. "alright, Scrap you did good. Now go play." Scrap shifted into a dog and bounded away. Rook knew Tater was going to try and help and he really, really did not want Tatter's help.

"What Tatter? I really need to go get my tooth."Rook spoke grumpily while he got up and started to the stairs.

Tatter followed."Rook, you need to join the pack more. Maybe it would help."

Rook gave him a warning glare"Leave it, Tatter."

"What is bother you?"

He knew he wasn't going to leave him alone. He was his brother. "I don't know. I feel distant and lost but I'm here. I feel like I don't belong but I do." They reached the floor his tooth was on. Rook knelled and pulled at the board again. It didn't budge any more than it did earlier.

Tatter took out a short knife and slid it back and forth beside the tooth. After a minute, the shifter tooth pushed out.

"Thanks," Rook stuck it in his pocket.

He could see the last bit of late afternoon sunlight warming the floor down the hall. He though about moving that way, when the hole he made in the wall yesterday caught his eye. Rook let out an exasperated sight.

"Tatter, I just want to go our for awhile." He got up to go to his room. He needed different clothes. Something without tiny holes were teeth had jabbed through and a broken hem hanging from his left leg.


	2. 2 Finding Fer

Rook had dressed well. He didn't know where he was heading so he might as well be prepared. He crossed the snowy lawn heading for the trees. The Pucks had moved into the Nathe right after the forsworn had fixed their oaths. That was at least 5 years ago now. They had let their spiders overtake the trees to make shadow webs. But Rooks spider was the first Mama spider they had. Who knows how old she had been when they spider-knapper her. She was getting slow and Rook worried for her.

He reached the edge of the trees and held out his hand marked with Shadow web. The giant spider moved close and rubbed Rook black hair with her big feelers. She had been wrapping a wild pig in black webbing. His spider seemed to be doing fine. Rook rubbed the giant spiders leg, a warm goodbye, then continued to crunch through the snow.

He tried to come up with a plan as he trudged along. He really didn't have any idea where to go. He felt trapped and slow. He needed a good run, outside in the daylight, over dry grass somewhere.

He wanted company, just not his brothers. Maybe the prairie, there was trouble to be had with some of the locals. He looked out at the ice on the lake of ways as he circled. No he may have found too much trouble last time with the dam breaking...Pushing his hands into his coat pockets he tried to come up with something new. The birch ladies land! Tam, a grey fox there always had news, but he always had jitters that often got them caught.

An old thought fluttered through, interrupted his thinking. Not even a thought really, more like a scent. Standing at the edge of the lake waiting to decide where to go, he chased the thought. Trying to remember the scent he rolled it around, closing his eyes and inhaled through his nose. Spices and herbs. Something wild and untamed, yes that is just what he was wanting now.

More to the thought developed and the pieces snapped together. Eye lid flicking open to show yellow bight eyes that danced like fire, partially hidden by shaggy black hair. The scent was of a patch jacket wore by the Summerland lady, Gwenyfer.

Clicking his tongue he paced. ... Fer... but had no reason to go to the Summerlands, but just to see her. That seemed tame. If he could cause that wolf guard some level of pain, he could justify a trip there.

He took the shifter bone out of this pocket and put it between his lips. Over his shoulder the sun was just setting. He had to wait for the way to open. Pacing for a couple minutes, he stood out in the snow, hands in the pockets of his long coat. The sky was becoming a dark purple with the last light of the sun still on the horizon. He hadn't seen Fer since the summer before. Maybe the summer before the last? Had it really been that long? He rubbed his hand through his hair, starting to change his mind about going to the Summerland.

The sun disappeared. The sky turned a deep blue and the first star lite up in the distance. He pulled the shifter bone into place with his tongue. It cause him to changed into a shadowy horse with yellow eyes. He stood for just a moment in the dark steadying himself, unsure he should go. Shaking the doubt out of his head he started toward the star. The wind was cold and soft as he leaped feeling his hooves pound on a invisible bridge to Fer's land. No turning back now.

Rook spat out the shifter bone just before the last gallop into the Summerland, running the last He was pleasantly surprised that he stood in brown grass with short green sprouts underneath. Spring was already creeping into the land here. He breathed in the warmer air, already feeling better. Walking into the trees close to the way, he removed his coat laying it out on the grass. Stretched while looking off into the distance. He could see lanterns lighting some of the houses in the Summerland. The Lady Tree stood high in the horizon. The Lady's house window glowed softly. Suddenly content to be here.

He could sleep tonight out under the stars, then tomorrow he would find Fer and hopefully that would lead to trouble.

XXXXXXX

It was mid morning. Fer was helping Grand-Jane and two chatty chipmunk girls grind herbs that had been drying over winter. The chipmunk sisters giggles as they talked about their parents choosing their mates. Lavender teased her sister, "father probably choose old Mr. Acorn, for you Sage."

"with the one lame eye?NO!" protested Sage. The girls laughed.

"That is so mean Lavender," Fer scolded while smiling.

"Sorry Ferlady," they giggled some more.

She had been grinding herbs since she and Fray got back from the Waterkin. Their land had been having a tough couple years. Recently the Summerland had been delivering supplies to them. Soon they would help their people put in crops, since their wild orchards no longer grew. It would be a better year for everyone. She brushed the hair out of her eyes as she reached up to take down another bunch of herbs hanging off a nail in the rafters.

Grand-Jane spoke up, "it's birthday season Fer. Do you have anything you are looking forward to?" They had let the calendar go, and she wasn't really even sure how old she was any more. Time changed so much different here than the human world. The stilth had made it even more confusing. The human world had sped up faster while it affected the lands. But her birthday was in the very beginning of spring so that is when Grand-Jane had celebrated it since moving to the Summerland.

"You know, I would love a pizza."

"Pizza?" Sage repeated, giggling. They giggled at everything.

Grand-Jane smiled, while Fer explained, "Mmmhuh, Pizza. It would be delivered it to the door covered in olives and green peppers."

There was a knock at the door. "Maybe this is my pizza, now!" Fer walked around the table to answer it.

Sage taunted,"or maybe, it's Lavenders future husband."

Fer opened the door feeling happy listening to the sisters, finding Rook on the step. The chipmunk girls howled. "Lavender, your going to marry the puck!"

Fer shut the door quickly before he heard too much of their laughter. She couldn't help smiling more, It was pretty funny.

"Fer, I didn't expect you." he started to feel stupid for coming. He had assumed Grand-Jane would answer and he would find Fer lost in taking care of the Summerlands somewhere.

"Oh, well who were you looking for? I can help you find them." Fer's eyes sparked with sarcasm.

"No" He growled feeling more stupid. "It's quite at the nathe. I was looking for something to do." He heard his words and they sounded like a little kid raccoon begging to go out and play. He growled feeling like a pup.

Fer looked out into the forest behind him where some of the Summerland's creatures where laughing over a short table made from the stump of a tree, and sighed. "well its pretty quite around here too, but I could use some archery practice if you want to come." It had been forever since they had seen each other. She talked to him like they had never missed a day.

Fer opened the door and walked back in, Rook followed. Grand-Jane ground herbs with a mortal and pestal at the end of the table. "Rook, my, its been a long time."

Rook nodded to her with a grin, " Gran-Jane"

"You've grown a whole head taller!"

Fer was collecting her quiver and bow off a counter. "I'm going out to practice. I will be back later Grand-Jane"

The chipmunks giggled watching. Rook gave them a half glare, and they stopped wide eyed. He left the little house listening to Fer tell the girls goodbye.

"Come on Fer, lets run." It was cool and breezy but different. The air felt like the beginning edge of spring and less like the tail-end of winter. It seemed to melt all his frustrations in to spirit he had been missing. He took out his shifter bone and held it waiting.

Fer motioned up behind her, her long patch jacket swing out from her movement. "Rook, my bone is up in the Lady tree, I don't ever use it unless your here." He gave a frustrated sigh.

"How do you not use it?"He had lost his for 10 minutes yesterday and what did that get him? A couple large bruises, a good skin burn, and his shorts were ruined. That was the longest he had gone without it in forever.

"We, can walk. Then we can talk too." Fer seemed calm and happy to see him. He was happy, but calm was probably not the word for it. He hadn't been outside the nathe in a week probably, he wanted to do something fast.

"I'll give you a ride then we can talk when we get there," he wasn't going to be able to stand a long walk out to the archery targets, without exercising his legs first.

With a quick motion he changed into a flash of shadow that became a black horse. Fer slung her bow back over her shoulder, reaching up to grasp a handful of black course hair and swung her leg over his bare back, now wrapping both her hands in his black mane, his muscles seemed to jump with pent energy, He felt like trouble. Fer barely seated the shadow dark horse rared up and whinnied. His front hooves meet the ground in Grand-Jane garden with purpose and he dashed out to the main path were Fray stood barking stern orders to return.

He past her fast and kept going. They were several other Summerland folks. Most stood back away from the road, but an old badger man pushing a wooden wagon. Rook leapt, clearing the farmer with plenty of room. Fer gasped nervously. They met the outskirts of town, the grass became taller. Rook picked up speed happy to listen to the dry wavy pasture grass. After awhile they came upon the target range, slowing down. Rook stopped to let Fer swing off his back. She turned around, he was already back to his person form.

Fer pushed him."You jumped over Avery!"

"He's fine." Rook gave a loopsided smile, his bright eyes burned, happy with himself. "Well? we are out here. Shoot something." He kicked the grass with his boot looking for a dry place to sit while she practiced.

Fer gave him a half eye look, asking "Are you in a hurry?"

"No." Rook snapped. He was just happy. He wasn't going to tell her that. He was exhilarated the air was warm here. He was thankful Fer hadn't brushed him off.

She moved away from him and lined up her shot. She let it go and it hit the middle of the target down the field. It was followed by two more arrows within seconds. Rook found a patch of grass and settled into it. leaning back on his elbows, he listened to the arrows thunk in to the painted wood target. She had fired off 3 sets of 3, lining up to start the next set.

"Hey, Fer-" She jumped at the sound of his voice, letting go of the arrow. It sailed off high over the target into the wooded area behind it.

Fer slipped him a quick glare. "Yeah, Rook?"

He grinned, "thanks for inviting me." She knew he was happy she missed her shot, pucks. She took a deep breathe and shot the last set off into the target.

Fer headed down the field to collect the arrows. She stood pulling arrows out of the target. Rook came up and started pulling arrows out to help. "Tatter was here a couple of weeks ago, he helped treating some of the water kin people that are STILL wilding." the stilth had taken it's tole on a lot of the lands but the water kin would be the last to heal. The people had moved back after 3 and 1/2 years but the wild foods where still dead, and every couple months a new volley of creatures would start to wild.

Rook tugged at a particularly stuck arrow, grunting,"I didn't know he ventured this way." How had he not told him, weren't they brothers?

Fer was having no trouble pulling arrows free, "I asked him where you were, but he said you've been keeping to yourself."

The arrow came free with momentum, he didn't want to talk about this, "Yes," it came out with a rumble of frustration, "what have you been doing? Grand-Jane's house's finished."

Rook stuck the arrows into her quiver and followed her to the woods. "Like a year ago," Fer said walking from the bright pasture into the shadow of the trees. Rook stood outside the forest soaking in more sunlight. She though about the direction of the arrow and were it should have gone, "it should be right here." Fer stepped over broken stone stairs, long since in usable order. Grass had grown up around the stone making it hard to not trip on top of. She looked back and couldn't see the target any more. climbing over a fat branch of a tree laid in the brown weeds, it had to have been a few steps back. She felt around in the high grass and found the arrow's blue fletching.

Standing in shadows of the leafless trees, Fer felt something. Something powerful, out here in the woods? It felt like a way. She walked into the direction. feeling the open way somewhere. It was behind her now. She circled a tree, then looked up at a silvery pond floating high in the tree. Why was it so far off the ground? There where no branches reflected in the circle. Just a cloudless almost white sky against the Summerlands blue sky dotted with wispy clouds. How could she not have noticed this before?

"Rook, look at this!" She watched him duck underneath a branch coming to her. Fer put her foot against the trunk of the tree pushing herself up to a wobbly limb. The next three branches came easily. On the fourth branch she caught her new green pants, ripping them on the rough bark ,"Shoot." Rook stood beneath her.

"Have you been through this way? " She grunted pulling herself onto a thick branch. "NO, but that is why we have to figure it out, right?"

Rook started climbing a small cedar tree next to Fer's. "Where does it lead to?"

She hung upside down on a branch just below the way closing her eyes to feel the way, "if feels like the Sand kin's land." When she opened her eyes she barely caught him disappear into the thick needled branches. The tree shook back and forth until the back of his long gray coat appeared near the top. He took hold of a branch above him and stepped to the edge of the tree, leaning out. The young cedar bent and Rook took a long step onto a limb in Fer's tree just above the way. Rook put the shifter tooth in the corner of his lips then jumped into the way.

"Show off" Fer said into the quite. She shimmied up the last branch, the way directly above her. She pulled a brown pine needle out of her hair, straightened her shirt, and felt the rip in her pants. It wasn't too bad an inch or two, just a slit. She raised her hand and touched the way with her fingers, not knowing where in the sand kin's land she was going or what to expect.


	3. 3 Terras

Rook fell through the way. The air was hot and the ground was a good 10 feet below. He pushed his shifter tooth into place while falling. transforming into a shadowy smoke and then a dog. He landed on brown burnt grass on four legs, padding away. Rook had been here before. He knew Fer was coming in the way from the bottom, she would be facing up while she fell. He looked around for something for her to fall into. Nothing but sand, gravel, rocks, and dead trees. He growled taking off his coat, the heat was already making him sweat. The way rippled and Fer fell. Rook stepped under her putting his hand out and grabbed her out of the air.

He held her for just a moment, "I think you are lighter than Scrap." rook stood her on the ground. "If you where a bunny, I wouldn't eat you out of pity."

Fer held on to his arm steadying herself from the fall. Fer looked up at the circle pool showing the bare tree branches under a blue sky of her land. "Well, that might have been a mistake to try out that way. Where are we?"

"just outside the sand kin's land" Rook picked up his coat and carried it. They headed to the red and yellow rock face in the distance. It stretch the entire way around the sand kinds land. Like a natural wall, it would be hard to get in but he had done it before.

As they grew closer to the wall, as impossible as it seemed, everything became hotter. He wished they had brought water, now he had a good run out to the archery range and who knows when they would find someone friendly with water here. Fer walked beside him. He grinned at her, how could he have planned a better day?

Fer spoke irritatedly, "Enjoying yourself?"

He thought for a moment, "I haven't been here a full hour and we are in a pucks worth of trouble."

Fer scowled. Rook continued, giving her a good shove in the shoulder, "The brothers would be proud." It started to dawn on her the amount of trouble she had cause going through an unknown way.

The giant rock wall ahead of them was getting closer. They passed groups of dead trees and huge stray red rocks that looked like they had chipped off something much bigger and been lost out in this desert.

"Are you seeing all the tracks coming out this way?" Fer asked. Rook said nothing, he hadn't been paying attention but surveying them now it looked like four horses, a couple sand kin, and something else. There were large, deep, oval prints out further to the west, they staggered back and forth like tracks but had to be left by something giant. He didn't know, there was nothing out this way to go to.

They were just reaching the edge of the rock wall towering over them. It felt good to stand in its cool shadow. Rook walked around the wall until he found a passage cut through the rock. He stood pressing his palms against the cold wall listening.

"What is it?" Fer asked.

"I can hear people" Rook whispered, trying to listen. If he could figure out how many, they might be able to take two if they were close to the entrance. But 3 further down the passage, even if he took one and Fer shot one the other could run for help.

Fer stood for what seemed like forever. "Rook, I don't hear anything."

He glared at her, telling her to be quiet with his eyes. She leaned across him to look down the pass. "There is nobody down there." She started down the path and saw four guards blended in with the rocks, now moving to them. Rock growled a deep sigh putting his coat back on. "Sorry" Fer muttered.

"You are turning out to be more trouble then any one I know." He spoke roughly, took his shifter bone out of his pocket and put it in place. In horse form he still glared. The guards came out of the passage daggers drawn. Rook sidestepped pushing her a little.

"Oh, right" Fer mounted, wrapping her hand in his mane. He took a couple paces backwards before bolting forwards, leaping over the guards. He raced through the stone path, the stone walls loomed high above making the way dark and cool. She could see the sky high above the cliff walls. It wasn't a very long passage and soon they were out the other side. Inside the stone walls were houses and shops made of red and brown rock slabs with wooden doors. They passed several sets of buildings rapidly. Rook took a quick turn in between a fenced in area containing large saddled beetles, and a red rock building with barrels stacked outside. Sand kin jumped to the side cursing in their own language. He raced down a sandy decline doted with dried out trees, turned a tight corner his hooves slide before catching ground. Rook continued the fast galloped to a short wall hurdling it turning a tight left he slowed and took the last right on this road. He stopped. Fer slung her leg over and jumped off. Rook caught his shifter tooth in his hand.

"That worked well, we are not dead and in the city, right?" Rook breathed heavy but seemed pleased.

"More trouble than anyone you know?!" She shoved the still panting puck, shrugging her thick jacket off her shoulders.

He gave a mischievous grin, passing a hand through his shaggy black hair, "none of them have tried to get me killed lately." He spun her around and pushed her to a door across the alley. "ask for Terras."

"Wait,what?" Fer's thoughts were still in the rush through town. He was already a sleek black dog sitting beside her, tail wagging, he was enjoying all of this. She let out an annoyed sigh at the sky and opened the door. It was the back door to a kitchen. Fer wond past a long table covered in pot, pans, and dishes. Down the room there was a large flat stone that a sizable women was pouring water on. The water sizzled and steam rose to the ceiling. She put four baskets of some sort of dumplings on the stone.

"excuse me!"

The lady jumped, and looked over to Fer, "What is it?" She sounded cross.

"We, Er," she looked to the black dog beside her, "I was looking for Terras?"

She stared at Fer for a moment pursing her lips, pouring another pot of water onto the stone, making the all ready hot room flush with more humidity.

The women took in a deep breath. "TERRAS!"

There was a clatter on the other side of a door, A man came through. He was gray tented with a bald head. He had scales running from his checks down his neck into his sandkin garb. His eyes seemed like they moved faster than they should.

"Ah, my clientele does not usually include fine ladies." The man sauntered closer reaching out a hand to ruffle Rook who produced a ill-tempered snarl. "It does however include him," the man drew his hand back, "lets go."

Terras lead them through the door he just came out. It was a narrow dark wood hallway with round windows that looked out to a dinning floor. Rook padded at Terras' side in front of Fer. Terras turned eying Fer, asking a question."How did you come upon such a mutt?" With a flash of black smoke Rook crushed Terras against the wall and pushed him to the front of the line. "We need a disguise, Terras." He turned and walk backward looking the two up and down, "you won't get far looking like you do. Sand kin don't take to outsiders, and even less to pucks." Terras looked at Fer, taking her in. His eyes made Fer nervous. They looked like normal green eyes, but they bounced and shifted. "I have what you need, for a price" it came out as a hiss. "but you should come sometime that you don't need to leave so quickly. We could have some fun. " Rook pushed him and Terras stumbled through the door behind him. Fer and him didn't have any plans for the day and chewing on a Lizard would be an improvement.

The room was filled with stools, upside down tables, junk, and dust. Terras took a clothe bag out of a stack of giant wooden tubs and tossed it onto the floor, saying no more he walked out the door swinging behind him. Rook took off his long gray coat tossing it onto a stool. Pulling his shirt over his head, making his hair lay funny. Rook never wore a shirt, really. He usually ran with just short. It wasn't very often he covered himself with clothes. he put on the sand kin clothes, a long brown gown, with long sleeves and took a headdress with him. Fer put her jacket in the bag and pulled the tan and red gown over her short sleeve shirt. handing the bag to Fer, Rook opened the door and went to the hall.

Rook sat against the door, rolling his pant legs up, thinking. Promising to stay true was different than having the strung out connection. He rubbed the broken heart threat, long since healed. What would the brothers say of him missing the link? Probably nothing, but Rip would beat some reason into him, he was sure.

Terras came back into the hallway from the swinging door down the hall. Rook hadn't minded Terras other times he visited. He usually considered the old lizard an easy friend. Terras would never trust him and he would never trust a desert lizard. But pucks could see through to the truth and Terras wanted Fer for something. Rook felt a low grumble in his chest and glared through his hair at Terras. "Robin" Terras hissed, lowering his voice, "part with her...the lady of this land is in the market for healers."

"What for, Terras?"

"For personal reasons."

his tongue flicked out of his mouth, hungrily . Rook said nothing, he put three large coins in the lizards outstretched hand while baring teeth. Any of his brothers would think about it, it would cause more trouble than the pack had seen in a long while. He had to stay true to Fer, he had promised he would.

Rook became ridged, "She's part of the pack-NO."

The lizards thin, flat nose flared,"part of the pack?! her hairs the color of sand, she is no puck."

"Well, she is so leave it. Find another healer."

Terras eyes flickered back and forth even faster, "My lady... She wants all the healers. sooner or later she will have the summerland lady."

Fer pushed on the door hitting Rook in the back. He grabbed the door before it went any further. Standing between Terras and Fer he snarled, "Move off, Terras."

Terras smiled a smile that seemed too long for his face. He looked more like the half reptile he was. "Your travels to our territory benefit me, puck. I will let YOU be." He stood up taller, his neck lengthening out of the top of his clothing. He seemed to slither back down to the kitchen looking back before opening the door and slinking in. Rook pushed the door back into where Fer was with the bag Terras had given him. Rook fit his headdress on, it made it so only his bare feet and hands were visible, there was only a small slit to see out off. He looked up to the window above an over turned table. It only took a moment to turn the table over and climb out to the street.


	4. 4 Sand Kin's Land

"He gave me the creeps," Fer grunted while she hung out of the rectangle window. Lowering herself to the busy street below. The hot sand of the ground burned under her bare feet. Fer circled to face away from the building into the bustling people. Five sand kin wearing close to the same desert garb stood there, and all of them were staring at her. She had just climbed out a window after all, it was probably pretty unusual. The person closet to her slung a bag over his back and held out his hand. Fer tangled her pinkie and index finger into his and let him guide her through the people.

"That's because he's a dessert lizard. He'll do anything for a price."Rook grumbly voice came muffled from the face mask.

Fer was feeling defeated. she had no idea what she was doing and had to rely heavily on Rook, she didn't like being a burden."I'm sorry, I suggested that way Rook, we wouldn't stuck here, otherwise."

Rook elbowed her, "cause it would have been better to stay in the Summerland and grind herbs?" She could hear the smile hid behind his mask.

The streets were noisy with people. Besides the buzz of everyday transactions, there seemed to be a collective tension among the people. Guard stood through out watching for something. The sand kins ways stood a running distance off, there were three pools with a tall hearty palm tree growing in the midst. It was the only live tree fer had seen in this land. Fer walked close to the very edge of the ways feeling there gift to take them away from here. One went to the tree people, one went to the nathe, and one went to the dryland.

Fer was getting attention from guards standing near a stand selling fabric. They came closer, hands on the hilts of their long blades. Fer saw and stepped away from the ways, back toward a vendor selling rugs. She had lost sight of Rook, but everyone was dressed similarly here. She was one of the few with out a face cover. She understood why. The wind was blowing sand into her eyes and drying out her nose. Her checks already felt burnt from the heat. She elected a rug trying to act interested, the guards went back to there post but faced into her direction. She folded the rug back up and found a particularly unique rug with images of chicken embroidered into the edge.

"People buy these?"Rook called down to her, he stood two people between them, his mask gaped open perilously, showing yellow fierce eyes and wisps of shaggy black hair, tell-tale signature of a puck. Holding up a rug design covered in brown pigs adorned with bows. Embittered he disposed the rug disorderly on the table, walking away.

She folded the ugly chicken rug and set it on top following. Fer talked in a low voice, hoping he was listening"The guards move slow, we could make it through the way, easy"

"Are you even listening, something is about to happen, Fer." She had to get better at being in the enemies territory.

"Like what?" She followed only a couple steps behind.

"I haven't gotten that much, just that its going to come up here in the courtyard, and look," he gestured to the top of a tent just peering over the vendors. The crowd made it hard to see. Fer caught a glimpse of a women veiled in dark brown with many guards, setting in a luxurious blue cushioned bench before the many people blocked her from sight again. "Its the Lady of the sand kin, I have been here before during ceremonies and she never comes. It has to be something substantial."

"Why do you come for ceremonies, Rook?" She smiled, he knew she wanted to know what damage they had done.

"Fer, why do you ask so many questions?" The brothers came to make trouble, what a stupid question.

From a side road, Two sand kin came carrying a large ceramic box between them by woven handles. The masses seemed to navigate away from them causing attention to be drawn. Slowly they carried the box into the people and everything became hushed. One of the men pulled a rough rope hanging off the bottom of the box, that released the wooden floor of the container. Sand started as a trickle then dumped out onto the mounds of sand in the courtyard. Everything was still, Fer looked over and saw the lady of the land standing out into the crowd now craning her head to see. her guards stood close. At first it was tiny, a vibration in the bottom of her feet, then the jugs on a table close by Fer rumbled lowly. Lids and bases of pots and jugs started to shake, as well. Each with a different pitched tingle. The air clouded, sand became thick as the wind picked up. Fer covered her face with her sleeve trying to shield her eyes while watching. as a cyclone of sand grew from the ground where the dust had been cast. The cyclone became thicker and thicker. the sky directly above the cyclone became lighter in color, shining brightly as if being absorbed. Then the cyclone slowed and the air became clear. The wind now pulled toward the dust devil,sucking in all the sand. Several people unwillingly took staggered steps nearer, towed by the strong gust. The cyclone became more solid. The bottom split into two wide legs, a midsection settled onto the legs, and the rest of the sand deposited a odd shaped hill for a head onto the creatures shoulders. It had a broad mouth void of sand, and shadowy empty eyes. The creature stood for a moment raised its first to the sky and bellowed a raspy cry of ten thousand locusts flying together. Above its head was the circle that had been left from cyclone . A oval that showed a dark cloudy sky floating in the middle of the sand kins almost white sky.

Fer gasped,"It just MADE a way!"

Rook stood at her shoulder, "That way we came through? Had you ever felt that in your land before today?"

Fer thought about it, she had a deep connection to the Summerland. She was its Lady, she had given her oath and because of it could feel every plant, every bug, every Summerland kin, and every way. She hadn't felt it before, no."No" She answered Rook, "That is why there are tracks outside of the wall of the city, the... creature must have been out that way. For what?"

He didn't answer. The creature was now funneling into the way to the Dryland followed by the sand kin that had brought the ceramic box out. The lady of the land had her back to them. Her delicate garb flowed out behind her in the hot wind. The guards followed her back to her tent. The sand kin were getting back to their routine.

Fer started heading to the ways. Watching to make sure the guards were not paying attention. She balanced on the edge of the pool that showed the blue sky of the nathe, looking up at the way made by the sand creature hanging above her final time. The clouds were black like it was raining heavily there, she stretched out to feel where the way lead to. The Damplands. She heard quick steps on sand and watched the guards coming close, they still had a good 10 strides tell they caught up to her. She stepped into the pool. The sweltering hot air of the sand territory mixed with the brisk winds of the nathe as she fell.


	5. 5 Forrest of Burnt Trees

Fer stepped barefoot onto the melting snow covered shore of the lake of ways. She waited as the way rippled then Rook, stepped through.

She was already feeling the ways to find a land they could pass through to get to her home. "Well, can we get to the Summerland before sunset?" The way to the summerland from the nathe wouldn't open again tell day turned into night.

Fer took the clothe bag from Rook, looking for her boots. He knew the way to take. Pass through to a Forrest of burnt trees, then to the birch-lady's land, and that led to the Summerland. He had been helping her an awful lot today. All he had to do was walk across the lawn and he would be home, it wasn't puck like to be so helpful.

He reasoned to let her go by herself, but his heart said to stay true. The conflicting thoughts made his head hurt more than usual. He didn't feel like the dangerous trouble, he usually felt like. But he didn't feel so lost or distant either, like he did in the nathe. It made him nervous, even more so that he was going along with it. Rook pulled off the sand kin cloth shaking the sand off into the white snow, taking the sack back to find a shirt.

She had been adopted into the puck family but he wasn't helping her for the sake of his pack. He looked down at Fer putting on her boots, wrapped in her worn patch jacket, hair as always short and wild, moving softly in the cool winter breeze of the nathe. She had always taken care of him no matter how gristly he had been.

She stared out to the cold lake,"no one knows where we are, they will expect the worst. I'm sure Fray is sharpening her hunting blades, now. She would love a good puck rug." Fer gave a mischievous smile. Rook felt a bubble of dislike of the wolf guard in his chest. It stayed there.

"Well, let's go then." Rook moved out to the edge of the lake.

The clouds of the nathe sky and the ripples of the lakes water seemed to whirl together and he stood on the soil crusted with hard snow of the burnt forest. Even in summer it was cold and covered in snow. the brisk wind caused the length of his coat to blow out around him, whipping his black hair across his face. For a moment he thought about pulling it back, but let the thought go and started across the acres and acres of blackened trees missing there branches that stood in front of them.

The white carpet of snow that covered the ground and the sky was cloudless and a light gray blue. It made the land look as if someone had stolen all color but black and white. He stalked away into the direction of the way to the birch-lady's land. For awhile it was quiet for all but the crunch of their boots in the snow. Stuck in his thoughts about why the Sand-kins lady needed healers and why they where making ways. Fer followed.

"Where is the next way, Rook?"

"It's against the only tree with two branches up a head. Another 400 paces probably." Rook thought about finding something to drink, or eating snow.

"Good, I might need an escape." Rook felt the cold hit the back of his head and fall down his coat and shirt. He arched his back from the unexpected snow running down his back puffing out shaky cold breath. He twisted quickly to see Fer packing another ball of snow with her hands turning red from the cold.

"What are you doing?" He said through slanted eyes, he stood shaking the snow out of his shirt. Fer smiled broadly, a spark of spirt shown in the way she creased her eyebrows together.

"Have you never had a snow ball fight?"

"Yes, and you wanted to start a fight with me?" He said with banter. He watch her scoop up snow and did the same. She cast the snowball with the same accuracy of her archery talent. Rook ducked as to not take another snowball above the shoulders.

"Why? Because you are trouble? you don't think I can be trouble?."

His grin was wide and sharp. "Oh, no, I know you are trouble."

Fer started strolling towards the way, maybe she should have thought this through better. She could see the tree with branches ahead, if she could hold her own until then.

Rook 's snowball caught her in the shoulder making her drop her own snowball, "drat" she scooped up two balls of snow this time packing them smooth. When she stood back up he was gone, she turned toward the sound of movement as the cold snow settled onto the side of her face, filling her ear and falling into her shirt.

She heard him laugh entertained with his strike. Fer smiled wiping her check on her jacket. The cold burned on her skin. His laugh was rich and deep. It made her heart happy. She clinched on to her two snowballs watching him. He walked in the same direction packing a large clump of snow,maybe 80 paces between them. Unexpectantly he tripped and landed with a, "oomph". Fer let out a surprised snort and sprinted towards the pool next to the large black tree with two branches.

"First one to the way, wins!" She looked back to see a sleek black dog loping behind her. She laughed know she had no chance now, but she picked up the pace to try. He passed her easily. Fer suspected he would shift before jumping through the way, and took a chance to lob he last two snowballs into where she though he would stand. With a wisp of black smoke he turned into a man, circling to face her, the snow splattering against his chest and one caching him in the neck, he stepped back momentarily. Just enough time for Fer to catch up and step into the way two steps away from Rook.


	6. 6 The Library

She set foot on a stone landing beside four pool, each a different way. Stone steps lead down to a bustling area of assorted people from all different lands. Music from three bird people playing unusual string instruments floated through the air.

Fer had been here many times. Giant tress covered everything but the pebble walk ways ,some with fresh leaves and some still bare. Set into the tree trunks were fascinating shops of all kinds. In the branches hung houses with big windows and balconies. It was a beautiful place. At the end of the market was the biggest tree. It had a fine staircase circling to the top. The birch-lady's house was in the tree but also the only library Fer knew of in the not human lands.

Rook came through the way only a moment behind her. He had been parched since they went through the way to the sand territory. Fer stood a step away looking out over the market. He gave her a good playful shove before descending the stairs. Into the crowd. Several people gave him anxious looks, giving a wide berth around him. Horses were tethered to a fence next to water trough. He was a horse really, why couldn't he? A good size metal bucket hanging from the fence, he dumped out the dirt and oats that dusted the bottom and dipped it into the trough. Rook drank deeply feeling much better. He hung the bucket back up.

Fer watched Rook guzzle water from the horse trough in disbelief. Shaking her head, she started down the stairs into the masses, this was the land of the oldest tree and plant people. Their roots were deep and they understood old truths. The healer here was said to be able to fix much more than an average healer and Fer had tried to meet her once but she would not meet with a soul unless its needed.

The weather was breathe taking, warm with a fair breeze, it was early afternoon now, and an ideal day to shrug off being the Summerland lady she supposed. Even though she really did want to get back. Stores on either side of the lane had set wooden tables out, calling to shoppers. A large tree man called out about hunting knives. It made her think about Fray. Another table sold spices from a wet land, it was watched by a lady weighted down by a long turtle shell. Fer looked up to the library now overhead. The branches swayed slowly with low creaks. It really was a exquisite building, A dark maple brown cylinder covered with intricate carvings of plant life. The building balanced on top of two enormous limbs with another limb growing around the North side. The library stood three stories tall each level with a matching row of round windows.

While admiring the structure in the tree and shop owner called to her. "Lady, Lady of the land. Come closer."

Fer looked suspiciously at her. "How do you know I'm a lady of a land?" The Old lady's skin was dark brown bark, wrinkled a rough. For hair grew curling fern vines that hung down behind her back, tied back with a cord.

"I'm tree kin, lady, we can feel connections like roots. You have connection to your land. Come, I sell charms, I will give one to you because of your deep connection to your people."

Fer walked closer to her table covered in coin sized pebbles. Another girl about Fers age, stood at the table. The tree women talked to her. "Touch one child, it will turn into a charm that reminds you of your most treasured memory." The girl studies the rocks and touches a violet one, it sparked brightly, making a "sizzit" noise. On the table lay a small jeweled window, made out of brown and yellow gems, Blue flowers across the bottom.

"Oh, it looks just like my Mothers flowers outside her windows." The girl trade coins to the tree lady, while she put the charm on a white ribbon, stringing spaced out beads on either side. Fer looked over the table and found a black rock with shimmery flecks.

"Well, touch it, are you not curious?" In truth, she was curious, what would be her best memory? She nudged the pebble and it flashed brightly like the last one. Other pebbles spurred out of the way as the charm became a palm size weeping willow. The vines were glimmering green gems of different shades, they were shaped like a entrance. Longer on the outside of the tree and short in the middle The trunk was dark brown gems at the bottom and got lighter as it moved up, like light came from under the branches of the willow. White flowers dotted the outside of tree.

"It is lovely, but I have no memory of a weeping willow tree."

"Sometime, if a grand memory is imposing, The charms will show the future."

"So this is a memory, that hasn't happened?"

The Women was putting the charm on a white ribbon, "If the charm is to changed to something in the future, it will not be long and you will know."

Fer thanked her for the charm, considering it as she continued to the staircase that wrapped around the tree. The walk seemed extensive, it was a much larger tree than her Lady tree. She shoved the necklace into her quiver pocket at the third turn around the trunk. A tunnel through the tree into a dark passage loomed at the end of the stairs here. Inside the long tunnel, cut glass lanterns lit the darkness, casting sparkles of light along the arched ceiling of the shadowy space. Fer took a deep breath. The entire land seemed so peaceful. Emerging on to the other side of the ancient tree was a terrace to the library that stretched around the base of the entire first floor. Wondering out to the front of the tree, she could see out over the entire land. She could see Rook in the crowd, he stood out awfully. His black unkempt hair wondered through, a circle of space around him in the bustling shoppers weary of the puck. He had his hands in his pockets and his head down, out of habit she assumed. Well, she wanted to find a book on the sand creature, and why it made ways. Fer walked towards the door of the library, then reconsidered. She went back to the edge of the balcony. She knew he heard everything, but if he was listening or not, she didn't know. Maybe she wouldn't have to yell.

She started with a voice like he was standing right next to her. "Rook."

He kept walking. A little louder. "Rook."

Okay, she'd give him it was noisy in the people and she was high above him, "ROOK." it wasn't much louder, more like when she needed something from Fray. He had stopped and was look around, he had heard her.

Fer smiled, it was pretty impressive "Come to the Library, ROOK" His fiery eyes snapped up and saw her, she waved. His hand came out of his pocket as he started to the tree, with a flash of black a horse stood in the midst of the people. She could here a couple yelps and clatter of hooves. He stood on the terrace next to her.

"I was looking for you." he stated Breathlessly.

"I thought I would help."

The library's lobby was dim a receptionist sat behind a grand desk.

She didn't look up, "Welcome, is there anything you are searching for here today?" She sat hunched over a thick book, her thin green hair hung into the pages. She glanced up at them, then returned to what she was reading. Her eyebrows knotted together and she looked up again with an untrusting crease to her eyes, focusing on Rook.

"Yes, I am looking for a book on a sand creature, monster?" Now the vine lady's eye flicked over to Fer, she questioned her,"Sand monster? Like a giant bug, wilding desert lizards, jackles?"

"No, a 15 foot tall monster. Made of sand and wind, it came out of the ground and made a way with its ...hand."

"Huh," The lady got out the chair.

her bright green arms and legs bending abnormally, she didn't seem to have joints, just hardy vines that furled and unfurled. She grabbed a book that lay out of place on a book shelf as they headed out into the shelves and shelves of books. She rolling it up into her arm, against her chest. The librarian climbed the ladder to the next level, Fer followed, Rook was gone again. They climbed to the third level of the library. The library lobby had books on the walls and tall shelves on the floor, the second and third floors just had books high around the edges and a then looked down unto the first floor. The building shifted back and forth with the wind, which must have picked up in speed. The Lady Tree swayed also, but Fer was on the third floor of a ladder feeling the building sway more than seemed normal It made her the tiniest bit nausea.

"Here, the only reason I would know is some one else took this book for the first time in 400 years, probably about 3 months ago. When it got back to us, it leaked sand for several days."

Fer didn't know the writing on the cover, she flipped through the pages, drawings of what she had seen in the sand kins territories covered the pages.

"Did they borrow anything else? I would be interested in those books too, I think." They librarian started down the ladder. Fer followed after the vine lady. On the second floor Rook sat against the legs of a table with a book. She walk over pulling out the chair and sitting. She wanted to look through the rough red cover book that the lady had just given her but curiosity of what Rook could possibly be reading got the best of her. She leaned over the table to the book he leafed through. Rabbits, dead and wrapped in wide thin sheets of pork.

She sat back down and opened the book, she couldn't read the language but the pictures showed a box and herbs, it showed the sand creature turning into a cyclone. There were pictures of it devouring people, but nothing showed the monster making a way. Fer hung the book of the edge of the table,

"Do you know that language?" Rook didn't answer, that usually meant he didn't. She pulled the book back on to the table catching his black hair. He growled at her.

"Sorry" she reach over and rubbed his head like his grand-Jane would have done. The librarian came back, with a stack of 5 books. All of them written in the weird language.

"Do you have a book on this language?'

"Yes, but into Dryland's ancient language, not into our languages."Fer knew some Dryland people, maybe she could get help,

"I'll look at that too if you don't mind." Four of the new books didn't have any pictures, the last one had pictures of a land, she didn't know. There where lakes and hill lands, large stone buildings and people that looked like half white lions. Their hair was white and tuffed out like a mane, cat noses and ears, and large paw like hands. Their eyes where bright blue with black circling and large black pupils. The next page showed horse and wolf kins but she had seen those in her land. A couple page later showed a lady with fiery eyes wearing a dark blue dress, and long matted hair, on the same page pictured a sleek black dog, and a wild horse with the same eyes.

"Rook, look at this." She held the book of the table again and she felt him take it. Laying across the table she watch him leaf through the next couple pages, no more information on the women puck. He said nothing, again, but kept the book flipping pages.

"I've never seen a land like this."

"Me neither," Fer replied.

"I wonder what it has to do with the sand monster, we will have to meet with Gnar and see if she has someone that can read this."

Fer picked the books up and started to head back to the front desk. The vine lady meet them there with the book on the language. Fer packed the books into the bag with their sand kin clothes. It really had been a crazy day.

Opening the door to the terrace the wind ripped the door out of Fer's hand.

"Wow, there was barely a breeze earlier." Overlooking the market the last few vendors put away their tables and the people were scurring inside.

"Fer," Rook pointed out to the ways, "sand is coming through the way."

"What?" Fer peered out to the far edge of the market squinting to make sure she was seeing it right, a long snake of sand was tunneling into this land through the way from the damplands.


	7. 7 Losing Fer

"Didn't the sand-monster go through to the drylands as we left the sand kin's land?"

"Yeah the drylands and the damplands are connected though." The sand at the way became thicker and thicker.

"Well, I don't know if you have ever been in a tornado, but I don't want to be in a giant tree house." Fer started down to the market again. Through the dark passage in the heart of the tree the lanterns shook from the wind, making a tink-tink-alink-tink sound.

"We gotta get further away tell this passes," Rook growled one hand on the dark passes wall trying to stay firm footed. Once on the ground the sand in the air had gotten thicker, and the wind was blowing to the creature. Pulling all the sand it could find in the land to it. It become difficult to see the trees through the wind heavy with sand. He handed the bag of books to Fer, shifter bone in hand. He dissipated into black smoke then into a black horse. He trotted to the other side of the Lady Tree that the library hung in, The air started to clear ahead and he started to gallop cautiously unsure of the path. Fer looked over her should watching the sand creature mid way through the market already heading in there direction.

Fer leaned closer over his neck to his ear, "its right behind us." He hesitate to pick up speed, what lied ahead was hidden from sight. The creature leaned down breathing a rumbling that sounds like a rock slide that Rook could feel in his rib cages.

Fer clung closer, her eyes clenched shut, "Rook!" His hooves pounded vigorously. The path was mostly straight, he traveled fast alert to shapes becoming clearer only a breathe before needing to avoid them, through the sand-filled. A table had fallen into the path and he jumped last second barely seeing it in time.

Fer Let go with one hand to turn around. The air still dense with sand, she couldn't see the creature. She covered her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket on her free arm. The shape of building and trees impossible to see make out as they flew past.

An arm of the creature cut through the air, slamming the ground. One of Rooks back legs buckled with the unexpected bouncing in the ground. Neighing, he struggled and regained a canter that quickly that became more rapid with each stride, and build tell they traveled faster than they had been before. Fer grasped with both hands to stay on his back. He snorted and kept moving. Fer chances another look and this time saw the Empty wide mouth right above them, the air hot and sandy began to suck back toward the mouth.

"ooh, you cursed sand creature." Fer spoke to herself, knowing they were not going to get away. They would figure away out, but not by running.

The wind blew into Rooks fiery yellow eyes and made them water. Blinking the debris from the surface of his eye free, he hit something in the road. Pain cracked against his front legs and he fell the shifter bone came free as his breath was knocked out.

Rook laid out in the middle of the pebbled road, head spinning, lungs recovering he took a large gasp of air sucking in more sand that oxygen, he rubbed his forearm where he had hit. The storm still raggin Rook drug a hand through his hair trying to keep it out of his eye, where was Fer?

"Fer!?" He got up feeling the giant steps of the monster rattle in the ground. It appeared in front of him, like walking out of a wall of sand. The monster stood tall above the trees around them. Its eyes where just shadowy holes, its arms and legs defined swirling, moving sand. In one fingered hand Fer hung, limp the giant grasping her by the back of her patch jacket.

Blood came, a constant trickle from her head onto the road in front of him. "curse it, Fer." Rook growled feeling his shoulders hunch. The monster turned dragging Fer's listless body back into the thick of the sand storm before putting her in his gaping mouth. Then he walked back the way he had came. Rook paced angerly, what could he do?

The wind died down and the sand became less and less, settling on the ground in tiny drifts. He saw the bag Terras had given him earlier in the day off to the side of the road leaning against a tree. Taking distracted strides, he went over to pick it up. As he got closer he found her bow and quiver in the grass, and slung it over his shoulder. Sighing helplessly, he eyed a deep red puddle on the edge of the pavement, Fer had to have smacked her head after he had tripped on something in the path.

He remembered that his shifter bone had gotten knocked out and shuffled the sand with his foot looking for it, a crunch of something between his foot and the sand, he picked up the bone looking back toward the Lady Tree of the birch-lady. A cloud of sand hung above the trees almost to the way. He started to run towards it. Maybe she was still alive, he didn't know what happened after a sand monster ate someone.

Looking ahead where they had fallen and he saw four steps leading up, great he injured Fer missing steps. She would die from an injury from him, tripping up four steps before she died of being ingested by the sand monster. He wished more than anything they still had a heart tread connecting them. Maybe he would have know for sure if she was alive or dead. He would be faster as a horse but couldn't carry the bag, bow, and quiver. What could he do when he got there anyway?

When Rook reached the end of the market empty of people covered in waves of sand, he leaned on his knees, panting watching the wispy cloud of sand travel through a way. The finally jog up to the stone steps of the ways wore on him. His arms hurt from the trip up stairs, his ankle hurt from his leg buckling, his eyes burned from the sand, he had been running all day, and blood dripping off Fer kept replaying in his mind. He couldn't ever tell which way the creature went. There were four ways, one to the Summerland, one to the Forrest of burnt trees, one to the damplands, and one to the water kin.

Rook panted, walking between the ways. He could go to his brothers, but he couldn't do anything to the sand monster, what could they do? He could go to the summerland and see if her people could feel the thread between her and them, but that would waste time if she was alive and who knew if they would even cooperate with him and that stupid wolf, would ask too many stupid questions about where Fer was lost at now.

He needed to find someone to read that book, the book had to say what needed to be done to fight one of these monsters. Fer could take care of herself, usually when she didn't have a head injury. He had to go to the dryland. Crunching over the sand on the stone steps to damplands way and leaning in. The feeling of humidity swish with the dry air as he left the Birch-lady's land he came out of the way running. The drylands way was half way through the damplands, a good 2 hours walk. He really needed someway to carry Fer's bow and the books while he was a horse. The land was in a constant state of rain, the lake always looked over swollen with water, but it was just the level it stayed out year in, year out. Rooks hair soaked, laid across his face as he raced to the first building in a set of three, pounding on the door, no answer came, he took a skipping run over to the next house, pounding. He saw movement in the window. Who in there right mind would open to a puck? The door widened just a crack. "What Puck? We need no trouble from you." any other day that would have cost this man his afternoon, he would have found someway to cause pain , but now he couldn't even work up a growl. "I just need through to the drylands as soon as possible for the sake of my friend, will you tie the bag into my mane?" Rook felt low asking, he bared teeth feeling like the mud stuck between the groves in the bottom of the man shoe. "why would I help you?" The door started to close, Rook struck it with his hand, "wait no, I can pay you." He felt all through his jacket pockets and pant pockets. One thing that was left in the nathe when the High Ones left was money. In every room there was a stash of gold, coins, or jewels. Rook stuck the wallet through the opening, it had a fortune in assorted coins in it, the door slammed. Rook took three or four steps away from the small house looking up into the raining sky, His eyes closed, he let the cold rain run down his face, down his neck into his shirt. He tried to wash out the one though that played over and over behind every other thought, I killed her, I killed her, I killed her, I killed her I killed her, I killed her, I killed her.


	8. 8 Drylands

The door opened again and the man stepped out. He had a blue hugh to his skin as most of the dampland people did. He was broad in the shoulders and with out hair. "What do you want puck?" Rook slung the bag off his shoulder and dumped it out onto the wet ground. He repacked the books, stowing the quiver in the bag, and as much of the bow that would fit. He gave it a tight pull and hand it to the man. "I have along ways to go, after I shift tie it into my mane as best you can." The man nodded. Rook placed the shifter bone in his mouth taking it back out and spitting the sand that had been covering it into the road, he placed it back into his mouth feeling it snap into place instantly standing tall as a horse. Rook stamped his hove watching the man stand there in a form of shock. "I've never actually seen a changeling," He looked up into Rooks eye while grasping long bunches of his mane and tying two large knots through a hole in the top of the sack. The weight pulled at the back of his neck but it felt tight, he shook his head to test the knots, it stayed. The damplands man backed up to the house. Rook reared up and galloped off, tempered for the moment that he was making better ground. The rain continued. He took a trail on the outside of the little towns hoping to keep a steady pace. He passed fields of mushrooms, several lakes with rocky shores, but mostly trees. It took him about half an hour to reach the drylands. This way was like the way from the summerland to the nathe. A long bridge to another land. Rook took in gasping breathes. Thinking about how very much he wanted to run this morning. He had had his fill for a week now. At least on the other side there would be no rain.

Rook set off across the way, the bridge carried him out into the dark where stars seemed to hang closer than possible. No matter how fast he traveled, there never seemed to be any wind in this way, and it felt like standing still, it made him think of the stilth and he gave everything he had left to keep running. The drylands appeared out in the distance, it was comforting to see the destination. Rook felt the dry heat coming up to meet him.

He put his feet on the baked dirt of the dryland and shifted. The bag fell to the ground and he slung it over his shoulder. Steady streams of rain water ran from the bottom corner of the clothe sack. He was already standing in a puddle that had dripped off his clothes. He needed to find Gnar. She was the only drylander that knew him. This way came out into a street of businesses. There were two others ways along a gray brick wall, columns on either side. His boots sloshed with each step, full of water. A lady pulled her young child out of his pathway whispering warning to the boy. Rook watched her distractedly and bumped into a Drylander with a sizzle. The man's hot skin evaporated the water while the man shouted out in pain, "PUCK!" Rook shot a glare, growling. Up ahead a tall man just a little older than Tatter, looking out at the commotion. Smoke poured out of the man's nose when he exhaled out and his chest glowed under his shirt as he breathed in. He step out into the pebble covered walk eying Rook. "Pucks aren't welcome here!" Rook sighed a tired breathe ""My day has taken a sharp downward spiral, and I am in a hurry because of it." "Does it look like a care Puck? you don't need to be in the drylands." "I'm just passing through. You know, I live with 26 brothers, I don't think you really want to do this, now move off." "Turn around and go back through the way Puck." he boomed. Rook took off his coat and shrugged it onto his shoulder so it covered the right side of his body, reaching back he snagged an arrow poking through the top of the bag. 20 paces away he broke the arrows shaft close to the head throwing the piece with the fletching on the ground, he glared at the man sizing him up , tearing off the long wooden splinters at the broken end. Rook Put the piece in between his teeth still walking toward the upcoming fight. 10 steps to the man he rang his hair out with his hands, raking all the strands back away from his face. Rivers of water ran down his wrists to his arms. The man now in an fighting stance, legs apart and fist curled, knuckles white. Two paces apart the man grabbed Rook around the neck, his hand smoking from the water. Rook could see his own eyes burn in the reflection of the Drylanders', giving an threatening grin the man seemed to loose a sliver of confidence. Rook started with a strong hit across his jaw, in the moment that the man closed his eyes from the sting, the moisture hissing on his skin, Rook took the arrow head cutting the man's shirt from top to bottom pulling it away from his middle, he elbowed the man in the stomach, leaning his shoulder into his chest and lifting him from the ground for a fraction of a second from the force of the hit. The drylander curled around Rooks wet coat in pain from the water, like poison to the mans skin. Crumpled to his knees, Rook circled resting his arm on the mans back which slowly produced steam from his damp shirt. "I'm looking for Gnar. She is some relation to the Dryland's Lord?"The man was taking deep ragged breathes and chuckled, "Puck looking for the crazy ember girl?" Rook dug into his pocked for the shifter tooth, feeling impatient."Still waiting, Drylander" Rook growled letting more of his weight rest on the man. "Try out by the way from the sand territories, something came through there and did damage." Of course it did. Rook left the man knelt in the street and headed towards the way.

At the sand territories way, sand was scattered and several buildings had taken damage. One stood a good distance off the foundation. Repairs were already under way. A group of 5 stood shoveling sand from the inside of a building. Rook walked up and stood just outside. Two watched him suspiciously with a familiar nasty puck look. "Gnar?" Rook asked roughly. The one looked at the other who hesitated them pointed at a group of structures, "two buildings down." See was that so hard, if only the last guy could have been that quick to be helpful.

The second building had a green sign written in the drylanderers language hanging from above the door. He could hear talking from the other side and opened the door slowly. Inside there was a wide wooden desk, a stool on each side. It was a very small building No one was in this room and he craned to look into the next room that contained another desk but that was all that could be seen. The voice came louder and Gnar walked into the front office. She was black as coal with hair to match, except at the ends where embers burned brightly at the end of each braids. She wore red pants, an orange silk shirt, and black work boots that came up almost to her knee. She looked older, he assume he looked older to her too. Eying Rook warily. "Wait, you are the strange one's puck, are you not?" "No" Rook growled, "I'm not bound to Fer. I'm here because of her, but I not bound to her." he huffed know he sounded bound to her, "She was taken by that sand monster." "The sand monster? You mean the dune. It took our lands healer early this morning. She was out in that building that moved by the lengthen of two horses away from where it had been settled." Rook tugged open the bag, laying the wet books onto her desk. "How dare you set wet things on my table, puck!" Gnar puffed smoke from he nose in frustration. She turned on her stool to face the attached office. "Come take these books the puck put on my desk!" a tall, thin man with pale skin strode out of the office. Rook knew them both from the contests put on by the elders. He was broader in the shoulders than he had been an his face seemed sharper but it was definitely Lich. ""These books have something to do with the dune, we cant read them." Gnar looked over the bindings, while Lich spread them out, peeling the pages apart slowly. Gnar spoke again,"I wont be any help to you, I don't know these languages."

"This one," He said gruffly while pulling out the book with a brown binding and unknown letters on the front, written in a orange,"is a translation of ancient drylander to whatever the other book are written in." "Fine, I might be able to direct you to someone who can read this," Gnar sat up from her position leaning over the books next to Lich. "Its a days ride though. If you want I will take you."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Rook paced in the early light of the next day, It seemed stupid to wait the night away. Gnar had given him a place to sleep and food but he barely slept and didn't eat. Now he wished he had, it would be another day of running and he probably needed it weiher he wanted to eat or not.

It seemed that Gnar had taken a place in the land to take care of the peoples welfare. People brought her problems and she tried to help. She gave credit to Fer, that is where the change had started to sneak in. Lich, he like Gnar and hung around. As well as that was, it meant Gnar had things she wanted to before taking a two day trip away and Rook had no idea where to go so the only choice was to wait.

Out of the dark he saw the dim light of Gnar's hair embers coming towards him. A black brown mare followed Gnar, Lich stood beside her pulling a strange goat-fish mount. They mounted, Gnar stretched out in the early morning, she seemed tired, exuding black wisps as she yawned. Lich approached him. "Ready puck?"

Rook glared, "I've been ready since yesterday, damplander. You show me the way, and I will follow."

Annoyed, Lich took his place beside Gnar and started off. Rook felt relief that they were moving, he took the shifter bone out of his pocket and put it in place under his tongue. The ground fell away as he changed into his tall, shadowy, horse. He stood, watching, the others who were not very far ahead, they had to move faster than this, and would if he could help it. Rook caught up quickly. Cantering to the outside of Gnar's mare, he bite her. The horse reared up and took off to get away from him. Gnar gave a crackly wail of surprise with the increased speed. Lich gave him a wet glare, and hastened his mounts gate. Stupid damplanderer. Hopefully the mare would be scared of him for the rest of the day and as long as he stayed with in nipping distance, they should move at a brisk pace.


	9. 9 Two Embers and a Fish

It took longer than he wanted but they were just arriving into the hill country Gnar had been directing the group to. The had stopped four times, it was two more times then they should have. Rook had scoured around for a rabbit while the others rested and cared for their mounts, but the three bunnies he found were thin and sickly. Surly because of the lack of foliage here. The summerland rabbits were always fat, even now in early spring. At the Nathe it was hard to find any rabbits. A surplus of pucks was never good for bunny populations.

They had kept a good speed here and made it long before Gnar expected. Rook had kept beside the mare most of the way only bit her one other time, more because Gnar was not holding on then because the mare lacked speed, just.

Gnar knocked on a average looking door to a medium size house. Rook milled about behind her and Lich. Most people took pucks with distrust and gave them space. Still some wanted to force the pucks to leave violently. Usually that didn't matter. Fights came easy and where over, but it was the boots beside the steeps that gave Rook an uneasiness. Cocking his head judging, he ran his tongue across three top sharp incisors. The black boots came up close to the top of his shin. But it was obviously designed to be a low cut shoe, even though it would easily fit over Lich's head and shoulders.

The door opened to a giant man that stooped to look out at the threesome. He had deep black skin and short gray hair, another ember kin.

"Gnar, my girl. Bring yourself in here," pausing he looked over Lich and Rook, "and your strange company." The man seemed well tempered enough and there were plenty of windows if he need to make a narrow escape. Inside books filled every surface of the broad man house. Apparently educated, the books covered a large range of languages.

Sitting down at a high table he spoke, "Come Gnar, I will listen, You never come to visit me without trouble, so lets hear it." Gnar had to climb into a chair at the table as if a child.

"It's not me Grandember. It's the puck." Rook growled, he wasn't causing trouble.

"It's not me...specifically...at this moment...I need books translated." The man watched him warily as Rook slung off the bag on his shoulder to remove the books. They had dried well, but the pages were wavy and crisp. He walked over to the man and handed the books over to him. "I want to know about the dune from the sand territories and how it make ways." Sitting in the red cushioned chair the mans fat knee sat at Rook waist while standing and his head measured several inches above him.

Eying Rook distastefully he asked simply, "Why?"

Rolling back his shoulders he started to pace. "The truth puck."

There was nothing to be gained not telling them, "I was in the sand territories when I watched the dune create a way, then later in the birch-lady's land it chased myself and the lady of the summerland. It consumed her and left. This is what she wanted done before she was taken, to have the books translated."

elbow on the arm of the chair the man shifted to sit up straighter, thinking. "bound, Are you?" Why did everyone think that?

Glaring at the giant now flipping through the books, he gave a sharp answer,"No, never."

Gnar asserted, "He was with her at the games for the summerland, he had some sort of truce," Rook put his hand in his pocket thinking about proving his unbound will, but his thoughts where interrupted.

"What is your name puck?"

"Robin. What is yours titian?"

The man grinned amused, it wasn't usual to call a large man a titian to his face, "Hunfrith." he cleared his throat and continued, "I will translate the books out of interest, but it will take two days or more if I can find some help. Since the drylander healer was taken by this dune also, there may be more embers willing to help."

he paused and drew paper out of a box on the table next to him scrolling a letter. "Gnar, take this to old Seabeth, she may send others that would understand this ancient text." Gnar took the paper, folding it and sliding it into her pocket.

Two days? Fine. then he needed to find out what happened to Fer in the mean time. He had never been this distance into the drylanders land, maybe there were ways out this far into the country."Gnar, are there ways out here?"

She made a funny sch, sch, sch, sound of laughter. "feeling trapped puck? You act awfully nervous."

He wasn't nervous but he had other things to do than sit in a library with two embers and a fish. The trip here was distracting but now that he spent time sitting the idea of Fer trapped and damaged made an achy anxious void. He had to know if she was safe. Two days was enough time to get to the sand territory and back, just hopefully here was a quicker way than the way they had come.

Hunfrith spoke grinning, "The only was faster than the way you came is to ask an ember dragon." His large fingers smoothed out a page in one of the books as the other hand picked up dark rimmed spectacles. "It does everything fast, eat mounts, destroy villages, burn fields," the large mans eyes flicked to Rooks over the rim over the rim of his glasses, "and skip to other lands."

Well that sounded convenient and entertaining. Rook packed the bag with Fer's quiver and bow into the entry closet to be out of the way, taking his coat getting ready to leave.

The embers' expressions changed to disbelieve, "you know that is a joke, right puck?" Gnar stressed.

"They sounds a lot like my brothers, I'm sure it's worth a try." Rook stated while rerolling the sleeve of his shirt.

"Not they, him" Hunfrith mumbled in a form of regret for even starting this conversation.

"You only have one dragon in the drylands?" Putting on his boots that where discolored from yesterdays rain in the damplands.

"No, we have lots of different kinds of fire dragons but only one ember dragon."

Now ready he asked, "Where?"

"Where?! Daft, puck, what would you have to barter with a dragon?"

One thing that he knew was dangerous things. Everyone gave his brothers and him room as to not ask for trouble. After a while the pack would go out looking for it. If the rumor mill said this dragon was too much trouble to bargain with, the dragon probably would be ready to willingly look for some.

"Some creatures get board. I can offer trouble. " Rook said it with calm ready to head out.

Gnar stared mouth wide the grandfather shook his head rubbing his short hair." I've never met a puck, but you fit the stories..."

He didn't have time for this, "Is the dragon closer than the sand territories way?"

"you are actually thinking this? Rook glared as a response,"alright, alright...alright." Hunfrith pointed out the window behind him. "Top of the second peak of the rock face, then I don't know. I assume it will be easy to tell from there."

Well, that was better than the long ride they had taken earlier today. "Just wait. Stay eat and then do as you wish in the morning, Robin?"

He grimaced at the idea, pacing like a dog in confinement. He hadn't eaten well in a day and a half and he didn't slept last night. "Curse it, early tomorrow then."


	10. 10 Rize

It had been easy to find. He could smell it, somewhat like a dragon mount but wild, and older. Less than an hour had passed and Rook stood at the top of a small caldera that had been lived in for some time, but no one was there now. Under tree shadows, close to the edge he settled in the long grass to wait. Hay and sticks made a large nest against the far edge of the depression. Cow sized bones littered everywhere, the skulls didn't look right to be bovine. Small wildlife scurried in and out of the large hole. Probably two small for the dragon to bother with. For awhile Rook let his attention be held by a group of nesting birds in a tree across the void.

Abrupt rushes of wind stirred the leaves. Peering out above the canopy, the underside of a red dragon as long as Hunfriths house came into view. Each flap of its wings pushed down great gusts. Pulling back into the shadows, Rook watched. It would be best to judge the temperament of the dragon before he was found. In one 3 toed claw the dragon had a kicking dragon mount. It bayed and flailed. The dragon landed its wings pulled in around it.

Rook craned to see but the leathery wings blocked everything but the dragons barbed tail that swung like a feline playing with a trapped mouse. The dragon mount went silent. When cautious steps he started to sneak around the edge keeping trees between himself and the dragon. Bones crunched and a smell of warm blood. The dragon was distracted, maybe it would be best to talk to it with food already in its mouth.

Taking a great breathe he started, "Helloooo, ember dragon." The dragon snapped up glaring, making Rooks stomach lurch he put his hand in his pocket. If he needed a way out, a dog would be too small for the large dragon to grab easily. "I've head you are dangerous."

"You've heard fully right, puck." It spoke in a wise rocky voice. "I've chewed only a few of your brethren in my days, but never swallowed, you all turn out to be to dirty to digest." It was most likely true, he could feel seven layers of dirt on his skin now.

All pucks could see to the truth. Although this dragon looked old, underneath it was young. It tore off the mounts leg, with a "snap", now, sticking out on both sides of the dragons teeth, it crunched the leg in half with a crack it gathered the broken pieced together on the left side of its mouth and striped the meat off in a swift tug. Discarding the broken bone into the pile.

Kicking a rock off into the wooded area Rook spoke,"something I've learned about dangerous things, after awhile it gets boring."

Picking the last strips off the inside of the rib cage the dragon listened. "I know and hear well puck, and it had been quiet here, I'm interested in your heart." Rook gripped the shifter tooth inside his pocket waiting to see how this turned out. He had an taste for chicken hearts and it never ended well for the chicken. "your heart is bold, wild, and infectious with change. Not particularly common in anyone, except the humans. Why is it that you came here?"

"I've lost someone, I want to find her. Come, make a mess in the sand territories so I can look around." Rook tried to say it with confidence but it still sounded shaky.

"I know and hear well, you understand." The dragon stated again for the second time. No he didn't know, he knew nothing about dragons. "Well, I know your heart and hear your thoughts puck, and your thoughts says shes' dead."

Rook flared his nose and huffed out a breath, "I don't know, she wasn't dead when I saw her," he didn't think she had been any way, "but it wasn't great."

The dragon left its mount, swinging his scaled face close to the ledge where Rook stood."So you come to my home to ask a favor do you?" The dragon slowly stretched his wings into a point as he spoke, both wing tips joined at the peak towering above the dragons back.

"I'm offering you trouble, we both would benefit." If the dragon heard thoughts he would know that was the truth.

With unexpected speed the dragons taloned claw wound tightly across Rook.

"Oh curse it," He went to put the shifter tooth under his tongue believing he could squeeze away as a dog, but before it could slid in place, the dragons wings had crashed down with a thunderous snap shooting the dragon's mass away from the land.

The skin of the dragon was ruff, thick and cracked, with plenty of placed he could fit his hand into hold on. Once high in the air the dragon slowed and glided. Dark blue sky surrounded them, Rook had thought the dragon would head through a way but it didn't. It just, just flew. Like traveling over the bridge from the nathe to the summerland but with no bridge. The dragons grip loosened enough that he used the dragons craggy skin to climb out onto stand holding onto the dragons leg. Stars started to come into view, that would be the other lands. Passing some lands that he knew, but was surprised at how many he didn't.

The sand territories loomed in and the darkness around them brighten as the air became hot. From above it was easy to see the city laid with an oval rock wall around it and the way out to the nathe. They sand kin all covered head to toe in tan and brown clothe bumbled about running from the dragon who produced a gritty laugh followed by a puff of flames.

Hoovering over a tall building Rook jumped off onto the roof. The dragon teetered on the edge to speak. "It took me a moment to remember, but the others use to call me Rize. Thank you for calling me out of the drylands ,Palio." The dragon lifted away making rough, cheerful, sing song hum.

Rook knew the dragon was dangerous but it sure seemed calm but still why did he ..."Palio?" It was more to himself than the dragon. Who knew how far thoughts could be heard.

It was still early morning, not sure where to start he surveyed the city. Ember dragons did make good time. Where did they keep the ceramic box to the dunes? Unfortunately he needed Terras. He would know about the dunes, and sometimes entertaining. Terrras wouldn't be a the restaurant where he usually hid yet. He roomed around here some where, Rook shielded his eyes from the sun, looking out for something familiar. Rook had been there once to pay for something. The building had been two story slab building with decorative ledges on the very top and right under the second story windows, perfect for breaking in.

Ah, it was not far. A hole was unpatched at the corner of the roof he stood on. Looking in he could see nothing, but it would be the easiest way down. Lowering himself in he found footing on a table. A young girl stood staring at him from the dirt floor, her mother behind her stirring a large kettle of laundry facing away. Motioning to the girl to stay quiet he slipped out the front door bumping into a hefty sand kin who quickly too off his mask to speak,

"In my house puck?!"

Rook put in his shifter tooth, "Whoops," and shifting into a black dog that dashed between the mans legs and off towards Terras' building. Sticking to the shadows he had no more trouble reaching the alley behind the boarding house. Shifting back into a person, he jumped up to the ledge holding the shifter tooth in his check while using his feet to push up to the second levels edge. Terras had the room on the front left side. Sliding the tooth back into place he padded as a dog around the building taking the corner slowly and out to the front corner of the building. Almost all the windows were open in the early morning, Terras' included. Rook shifted climbing in onto a slept in bed. Then jumping to the floor. The room was small with just the bed and a chest for clothes. The room had no door and looked right into a kitchen area, where Terras sat at a table eating from a blue bowl. He wore thin pants, revealing scales that ran down his neck continued over his shoulders to his elbows and down to the sides of his waist. Rook stood in the doorway and Terras seemed unphased.

"Robin! I knew you would take up my offer." He shoveled more of whatever he was eating into his mouth. It looked like rice mixed with bug pieces. "Come, sit, eat."

"No, I would rather not." What ever it was smelled awful.

"Well, where is your friend you had with you last time?" Rook had made a habit of telling the lizard the worst of everything. It was best they feared each other.

"I probably killed her." It mad his heart sad to say it so carefree.

Terras stood up quickly, upsetting his chair. "Killed her?!"

He wanted her because she was a healer, but Rook had no idea for what."What does it matter to you, Terras?"

Terras calmed, cleared his throat, and strode closer. "She _was_ the summerlands healer wasn't she?"

"Yes"

"Well aren't you terrifying puck? I had thought you like her. What did you do? Get sick of her or hungry? "

Rook leaned against the wall. If he spoke it would just make this process drag out.

"I suppose daisy never last long in horse corals you know." Terras gave him a menacing look, trying to push a fight.

But it was easy to ignore today. "I'm looking for some trouble Terras and the sooner the better, because I have plans for tomorrow evening."

"For wild and unbound you sure seem to have a lot of plans as of late. What sort of trouble, puck?"

"take me to the dunes."

Terras let out a sound of disbelief. "That is not the kind of trouble anyone wants."

"I'm standing here asking for it Terras, so that isn't true."

Tension seemed to hang, "You don't know what you are asking." Terras found clothes out of the chest in the bedroom and one ball of thick twine. "I will enjoy this more than you will, Robin," the wide smile spread much to far almost past his eyes.


	11. 11 Lady Puck

They left the building out the front entrance. Terras had bound Rooks hands with thin twin firmly behind his back and blood leaked from his nose. Terras wore sand kin clothes to hid his attributes. Desert lizards were as popular as pucks in the sand kin territories.

The streets were abnormally empty. Terras pushed on mumbling, "how odd, hasn't half the morning pasted.." stopping to look down one of the more popular shopping allies. Rook watched a pillar of black smoke rise in the horizon. The dragon seemed to be doing a great job distracting. The crunch of the pairs feet on the gravel sounded loud over the quiet.

Steadily the"whoosh, whoosh, whoosh," of large wings became louder and louder. The dragon crossed through the path in front of them from an intersecting road. Flapping just above the ground, Holding onto a frantic brown horse attached to a wooden wagon that trailed behind. Terras stood taking the situation in as the dragon left sight, "Puck, do'you see that?"

"all I saw was spots, lizard" They started walking again.

"Ah, it wasn't that bad you hatch ling. It is too tempting to have you all bound up not take a little advantage of it." Tarras put a scaly hand on Rook's bare back and pushed, entertained he had given the puck a square punch in the nose, nothing he would have gotten away with if he hadn't been bound. The dragon appeared in the sky above a distant building.

Terras stopped again watching, but Rook pulled him along, "come on Terras, quit stopping, its just a big... lizard." Rize was flying in a straight line to them, Terras started heading to side of the road but Rook sunk his heels in the gravel fighting to continue on. Grunting as they scuffled, Rook breathed,"coward."

Terras tugged, trying to get out of the dragons way,"Coward? You have a yearning for death."

The dragon touched down in the street, its wings didn't even fit between the buildings. Holding the gigantic wings over the roofs of the buildings it cast Rook and Terras in its shadow. "More trouble than you can handle, Puck?"

Rook looked at Terras, "No, I think I have this."

Terras gave a nervous laugh, "The dragon is with you? you are hard to figure puck."

The ginormous red dragon gave a entertained growl before turning, taking two playful bound, and lifting into the air away from them. Terras pulled off his mask to watch better, his mouth gaping open. Rook took the distraction to step over his hands, moving his bound wrists from behind his back to his front. Now he didn't need to stay bound. He could easily get into his pocket and shift into dog and the twine would come off easily. Really he could probably chew threw the thin twin now, thinking he put the numerous layers of thin fibers in between his teeth, gnawing to test the strength causing it to untwist easily. Better keep with the charade until he knew what he walking into.

Striking the lizard in the rib with his elbow, "are we going?"

"If you knew what you where headed to, you wouldn't be so impatient Robin." Around the corner the building became visible from the street again, no guards stood outside, probably Rize's doing.

Terras pulled Rook along by the forearm, "What do you have to do with an Ember dragon, puck?" It must be bothering the old lizards thoughts.

Rook grinned, showing a row of sharp teeth out the side of his mouth, "It's fun, right?"

It was bothering Terras, The puck had something to do with the dragon, he says he killed the healer girl that the lady of the sandkins needed, wants to see the dunes, and was almost untied. The puck could run if he wanted but hadn't. He wanted in this building.

Terras pushed him harshly up the finally few steps to a windowless building, trying to take control. opening the heavy door and shoved the dark haired man threw that was all to happy to be a prisoner Terras worried.

Coming in from the bright morning sun outside, it was hard to see inside in the dimly lit area. For a few moments his eyes adjusted while Terras pushed him across the room that seemed mostly empty. At the edge of a large wooden table Terras wrapped a firm hand around the eager pucks wrist, pulling Rook harshly to a stop. By the sound it was clear that the lizard was riffling through keys hanging just under the edge of rectangular table. As his eyes had adjusted seven rough wooden cages caught attention, that had been unclear in the dim room .Five where filled. An ember, drylander, a prairie lady, water kin, and ... and Tatter?

Rook quickly pulled free from the distracted lizard and took quick steps to his brother's cage.

Terras spoke to someone else, "This one is tricky." Rook kicked himself for not paying attention if other guard where inside, and started scanning through the building for more people.

Terras had the key in a lock to the cage next to Tatter gripping the pucks arm again. Looking over his should her saw a lady with black wild short hair that stood on end. Flames in her eyes bounced yellow and orange. A puck girl. She was older than him but not by much. Covered by gray pants ripped and frayed with a purple shirt under a black jacket with strings of ware hanging from the cuffs rolled up at her elbows.

Terras let go to put his hands on Rooks back to push him into the wooden confinement. Enough time for Rook to shove his bound hand into his pant pocket awkwardly and putting the shifter tooth into him mouth. the twine fell off, meant to wrap his wrists it was much to big to keep his paws together. Taking several skips he avoided Terras effortlessly.

But now the puck lady started to circle him. Smiling widely she exuded experience. Terras may be clumsy in keeping him caught but the way she walked toward to fight him, this was not going to go well. Thinking, he really just need the key to Tatters cage. He would be loosing this fight but they could escape later if he planned well.

The lizard came to grip his arm again, hissing annoyed while reaching out. Swiftly Rook slide in the shifter bone blurring into a tall horse flailing his back hooves into Terras laying him out onto the floor. Blurring back into a person, he took several cautiously placed steps toward the table that keys hung from. The lady puck watched him still grinning. Laid out on the surface was many bottles, bundles of herbs, jars of liquids, and Fer's jacket. Sweeping it up, stiff from the dried blood that had soaked threw, he rubbed at the red stain with his thumb, "Curse it."

His mind didn't have time to think about Fer. Yellow, orange eyes watched him with a harden face now, no longer smiling. Backing up he bumped into the table shifting it from where it sat, he used the coat to hide the slide of hand taking the last key that seemed like it would correspond with Tatters cage. hopefully they were in some order.

Trying for distractions he spoke out to the lady,"So what are you?"

He stepped further away wishing he hadn't kicked Terras so hard, the lizard would have just put him in the cage by now, no scuffle.

"You don't know a puck, puck?" Her voice was loud and clear like a sharp bell.

"Never a girl!" he snapped back. Putting her fingers in the shallow pocket of her jacket then straight to her mouth, he couldn't see what it had been.

She faded into a black smoke,"all the lady pucks are hiding somewhere?" now he was just trying to distracted his own nerves while moving back toward the cages.

The shadowy smoke produced a sleek black cat as long a horse that made Rooks spine feel like pudding. Under his breath he cursed, then called out to her,"Well, you are a sort of wild, I've never seen."

He walked in the circle she had been pacing, moving away from her as she rounded him again. Come on, think. A tail as long as her body flicked back and forth as she hunted him. A panther. He could shift into a dog and run, but he needed to get Tatter out of here too. He had to fight, Letting out an apprehensive sigh he slipped the shifter bone into his mouth.

Taking one long step to her as he shifted leaping over her as a horse, she made a fear giving a, "RROwwwllll" that came from the depth of the black cats throat. Swiping her claw she caught his back ankle. Kicking out he tried to catch the big cats head with a hove but she bit into his tendon. Yanking with her teeth still wrapped around his leg she pulled him off his feet. The shifter bone slipped from under his tongue to his cheek as he hit the floor, quickly taking it out as to not swallow it, he wriggling from the pain. Grunting Rook rolled onto his stomach "well at least that didn't last long."

She shifted back standing over him laughing, "stupid, stupid, stupid, you should have ran." Bending down she pulled him up with a strong grip on his arm.

"Why? And miss out on that fantastic scar?" He heard Tatter chuckle from behind him. She tossed him backwards into the wooden enclosure shutting the door with a "whack" of wood on wood. Holding it shut with her foot she searched through Terras still out on the floor find the key in his hand. He stirred as she took it from him and locked Rooks cage.

"What awful chaos you boys are. You would do better to be organized."

Terras coughed in pain trying to talk, "The puck!" She turned to him with a look of distaste. He drew himself up on the wall.

"...says he killed the summerland healer..." She growled and banger her fist on Rooks cage. She pulled the lizard up as he supported his achy ribs. "call for the cusp, desert dirt lizard!"

Tatter had been standing resting his arm on the bar watching, now crouching glaring through the slates of the conjoined cage. Rook could feel him there but didn't look. "killed her did ya?" Rooks head hung between his knees, the bite on his calf burned. "I don't know Tatter, it wasn't good." The thoughts soaked in. "I came here hopping to find her." All he found was her blood stained coat and that didn't ring well. He sighed deep and lonesome. Tatter grasped his shoulder, he tried to hide it from the pack, but they all knew he was bound somehow.


	12. 12 Isla

The door banged open with urgency. Terras returned with a stout older man. With several large rings around his eyes, wide full of knowledge. Arms hanging out of a sleeveless shirt covered in short feathers from his shoulders to mid forearm.

The lady puck had sat herself down against the wall of the opposite side from the cages. Her eyes glared in the dim light as she rose to meet what he assumed was the cusp. Likeness to an owl, his head swiveled instead of bend.

"cusp, the puck says he killed the summerland healer." She motioned tensely down to Rook, " that will ruining everything! It could be a year before they replace their healer!"

"Isla, you have to ask me a question for this to work." The short man said patiently the lady puck listened and calmed.

Taking an audible breath she started, "where are the lands healers?" The cusps rings around his eyes where made of feathers that began to rotates slowly as soon as the question passed beyond her lips. Each ring rotated independently as differently speeds sometimes stopping and turning the opposite direction as if searching.

All at once it stopped and he opened his wide eyes, smiling. "She isn't well but located in the land of trees with the birch lady's healer." Rooks breathed out the worry he had been holding on to. She was alive.

Now, they had to escape. Isla held up a hand and looked over the cages,"we only need to two more healers, if they are both in the same place-we should try to retrieve them now."

Terras nodded and opened one of the grand wooden doors to the windowless stone slab building, spilling light momentarily to the poorly lit room. For a brief while the lady puck, Isla is what the cusp had called her paced, shoulders slinking down and up as she paced just as they had as while she moved as a panther.

The door creaked open again allowing an average sand kin wearing the same garb as all the others in the street he had just came from. Pulling off the mask he showed a mass of short curly brown hair and stubble of facial hair. "Lady, the dune will not be ready tell the morning." He coward a small amount. Rook bet this man had a panther bit somewhere too. " The formula for the dune takes a measured amount of time, at the very earliest it will be done an hour before day break tomorrow."

The man waited weary of what the response from the lady puck would be, "Fine. We will leave as soon as it is ready." her voice became louder, "not a second later!"

Traffic in the building had been steady after that. So the brothers sat until the next morning, when Rook passed the key to Tatter. The older brother tested the lock and it opened. Swinging the door free, voices came from the stairs to the door from outside. Tatter pulled the door closed again listening. The voices were urgent, The front entry creaked and a shadow stood in front of the dark morning sky.

From inside the building a door opened and Isla came out, already looking irritated. "What is it now Terras?" She slammed the door waking the other healers.

The shadowy figure in the doorway spoke to her."The pucks pet."

She gave a gaff, "pet?"

Isla reached the table that kept the cages keys as the building moaned, taking weight with a creak. Sand trickled from a crack in the roof. With irritation the lady puck looked to the ceiling and growled. Stalking to the doors marching straight into the street. Terras stood there holding the door open watching.

Rook could see Isla from her chest up in the street looking to the roof of the building they were locked in.

"Rize?" She growled, "How dare you be away from the drylands! Are you not bound to me and I bound you there?Do you desire to be foresworn?"

The dragon laughed a deep laugh that could be felt through the walls. "A surprising change in the breeze Lady of the Sand kin." he spoke with a level of sarcasm, but still seemed well tempered and happy. "I am bound to the heart of Sirus, and it asked me out of the drylands."

"No such thing has happened dragon!" She spoke through clenched teeth. "I am the heart of Sirus."

"Yes, but you and I know that there are two of you..."

Rook saw her glowing eyes change focus from the dragon to Terras, then passed Terras to him.

"Beat it Rize." Her head sunk into her chest as her shoulder rose in irritation. She was graceful and fast. Her feline self shown through in the way she moved in a direct path to his confinement.

Standing at the door to his cell she breathed not out of breath but anger. "Who are you, puck?" She was scorned from something he didn't understand, which was getting to be a lot of things.

Rook didn't know why the dragon had called him Palio, it was clear the two of them thought he was something he wasn't. Isla's face shown that ignoring the question might have been a bad choice. Eyebrows clinched together she reached through the low slat like a cat paw into a mouse hole. A flicked of her wrist and caught his pant leg pulling him close to do damage to the bite she had giving him the day before.

"A heart of Sirus are you?" She seemed to be looking him over while she gripped his injured leg tightly. "I can see it clearly, now." It didn't seem to give her peace.

Rook stayed stubbornly silent. Pucks could see the truth and she had to know he had no idea. Calmed she eyed him with a slant to her head thinking whispering, "ignorant," under her breathe as she sighed and let go of Rooks leg, turning back to the door.

She turned one last time, "figures, you'd end up a land puck." She paced away content he didn't know whatever he was suppose to know. The building relaxed and the sound of beating wings came while Rize followed the lady pucks orders. The dragon was bound to her? She was the sand kins lady? This was turning out to be a giant mess.

When Terras left again Isla went with him. Tatter unhooked the lock and left his confinement. Bending down he saw the keys hanging underneath the table, taking all of them he came and unlocked Rooks cage.

"Pup, stay out of trouble for a moment."

"Me? You are the one that was in here first." He followed his older brother unlocking the other healers. Rook defended himself, "I asked to be brought here..."

Tatter glared at him. "That is what I mean, don't ask for trouble for just one breathe, Rook."

He paced. "becoming tame, Tatter?"

Someone pushed on the door from the outside but it didn't open. Rook shifted into a dog and padded to the door, listening. Tatter needed a distraction, he probably didn't want one but he needed one.

The door cracked open again, a sand kin stood there listening to Isla speak to him from the street. "yes, lady, I will."

Rook snuck out behind the mans legs. Isla stood in the street, still dark but dawn was coming. She was wrapped in a brown clothe covering her. The wrap seemed like a veil should be attached but she wore it without. She really was the lady of this land, How had none of the brothers seen her then?

Isla spotted him, pointing, "Hey!"

He speed to growl at the people so they looked away from the building. They sand kin moved out of the door towards him.

She laughed, "Terras, said you were tricky.."

He shifted and stood out in the gravel street. Terras stood off to his right. He knew he could slip away, he just had to wait for Tatter.

"Really, you ask it upon yourself, if it were not so easy it wouldn't be so much fun." The lizard tried to come up quick with his slithery fast movement, tried to give another fast jab into Rooks jaw. He leaned and dodged, reaching back he gave a flat handed slap across the lizard scaled face that made his hand burn and a gurgled laugh spill out. The brothers had a habit of slapping each other for entertainment, usually in the back or leg, but no one was going to be a ninny and say it hurt so the game continued. He was awfully practice and that had been one of his better.

The lizard anger set from the embarrassing fight. "You fight dirty puck."

"You though different?" He grinned brushing black hair back. From behind Terras, Isla watched interested in the argument. The door behind her squeezed open, 4 healers snaked against the wall around the corner of the building and into the alley. Terras came at him again his anger made him strike with out thinking. Rook took the jab across the jaw but it was off centered and Terras slipped, Rook grasped his shoulder and put his foot in the lizards stomach, letting out air he bent over and rook pushed him into the rocky road. From behind Isla he watched a black dog round the corner into the ally with the other healers. Now he could run.

Giving Isla a good smile and dashed in the opposite direction of Tatter. He was sure they would take the alley to the street behind these buildings to the ways. That ways was longer so he hoped he was giving them enough time. It was only a small length of road here, maybe four buildings and a turn left into the open courtyard of the sand territory where they ways where, surely he could make it.

They lady puck ran up right beside him, a black horse with a short mane. As he crossed the length of the last house on this stretch of road an empty table blocked his path in front of the house. Isla moved to block his path, she scuffled to a stop bearing her side to him, giving Rook a trouble filled idea. With a long step onto the table he immediately leaped off on to the lady puck, scrambling onto her back.

She bucked, whinnied, and spit out her shifter bone. She landed facing the dirt, Rook crashing on top of her. Working quickly he put one shin into her back and a knee on her neck. He grasped at her fisted hand looking for the shifter bone. Prying it from her fingers she squirmed and yelled. Frustrated and pinned. Flaying her feet she tried to spin. Rook put his free hand on her head and pushed her against the ground, chucking the bone off into distant dry grass behind him.

Her jacked had rolled open during the scuff, "why put it in a jacket pocket?"That seemed so stupid.

He lost coats weekly. Hastily he dug into the pocket finding a sharp rounded tooth and a orange jewel that seemed important. Sticking the jewel in his own pocket and tossed the tooth off into the road in the opposite direction of the shifter bone. She withered. Finally with a mad twist she knocked him off and locked onto his mid section pushing him down. She stood over him with the intent to shift, figuring out her tooth was also gone, her eyes exploded with rage. Bending down to wrap her hands around his neck he gave her a off-centered kick in the chest with one foot she fell off beside him.

Bounding up he ran again for the way. Rounding the corner there was a dark figure with glowing orange eyes at the edge of the way. Tatter, watching for him. The figure disappeared as he stepped into the way. Focusing on the exit Rook didn't notice the sand picking up at first. Then a wall like that when he lost fer blocked his path to the way. Jerking to a stop and turning Terras stood beside the sandkin with the ceramic box. And the cuff eyes closed and rings twisting searching. Wind picked up in speed so he could barely hear. "Separated...back in the summerland" a howl of wind made it impossible to hear all the words. A firm grip caught him across the chest and back lifting him off the ground. No. He had to get back to the books, and to Fer!

"RIZE!" He didn't know if the dragon was even still in the sand territories. Go to the Nathe!" He had to get back to the drylanders tomorrow, he needed the dragon. He heard nothing as the solid sand arm lowered him into a dark gritty cloud of the dune's mouth.


	13. 13 Locus

Fer laid in a soft bed covered in a purple and green quilt. Her legs ached from being curled up for too long. She sat up slowly and the room spun, her eyesight went black for a moment with bright white lights. She grasped her head waiting for the feeling to pass. Under her fingers lay rough bandages. She felt the sway of wind, knowing she was in a tree house.

When her eye site returned, she looked over the space. The entire house was contained in this one room. Across the area was a short table, in the middle a counter with a place to cook food. Something was boiling in a pot. Plants sat in a open window, and warm breezes drifted in. A headache started to sit into her forehead. Fer rubbed it.

The flap of the tree house entrance opened. A tree lady tip toes in. On the lady's head, vines of tiny fern leaves draped down to the floor. She was wide and covered in dark brown bark. She wore a fine blue dress tied in knots at her shoulders. An air of wisdom in the way she moved. "I hope I didn't wake you child, rest is really best at this point." Fer couldn't remember what happened. She watched the elderly tree women walk behind the counter to add something to the boiling pot. "I'm sorry, I don't remember anything. How did I get here?" Fer closed her eyes and laid her head against the top of the wooden headboard. "I'm the healer of the Trees, lady birch's land." Fer cracked open her eyes listening more. "Anytime anyone is hurt here, They are sent to me." The elderly lady's face spread into a wide smile, she said quietly as if secretive, "It's one of my best tricks." "I've tried to meet with you, you are Honey-Locust?" She nodded happily."Yes, I go by Locus, and you are the Lady of the Summerlands, I can feel your connections. Even from this land they are stronger than most." The women brought a plate of fruit bread with nuts and a glass of milk to the bed. "You need to eat, child." Fer did as she was told thinking over what she did remember. Getting books at the library, and the sand creature hanging right over her and Rook. She finished a piece of bread,"is my friend here also?" Fer asked. "No. only you came to me. Usually if there is a connection, a group will come together. Like if a daughter gets sick, the family will come. Usually." "Oh," Fer said it thoughtfully, "we are no longer connected. But he is still a friend." The lady's eyes watched Fer like she could read between the lines. She came to sit on the bed next to Fer. "You have one broken connection" The healer reached out a touched Fer where the connection had broke, it was healed now, it didn't hurt physically like it use to. "I don't run into that everyday. Why would you break a bond three times, Lady?" "It was a joint effort, he broke it twice, and I broke it the last time. It was an, in the moment decision." Fer didn't really want to talk about it. Rook had been bothered by it for along time after, she was pretty sure he still rubbed it out of habit. "But its healed over, how long ago has this been?" The tree lady held on to the baseboard of the bed to push herself up. Fer though,"I dunno, 5 or 6 years?" The women looked at her studying Fer,"and you are still friends?" "I think so." Fer, really had no idea, he would never say they were friends, but it felt like they were. The lady put on another pot. "Well, I have more than a few tricks, and I haven't use this one in a hundred years. If you want, I can restore your thread if you and your friend both want it. But if its broken another three times, Nothing can be done." Fer closed her eyes again, a happiness bubbled up in her chest and came out as contented smile.


	14. 14 Dune in the Summerland

She had falling asleep, tucked into the short bed everything was dark now. Locus snored loudly from a bench in the kitchen. Fer felt better, her headache had passed and her eyes didn't fail her when she sat up. Sitting on the edge of the bed she watch the rug draped over the window swayed. The very start of a new day peeked through.

Fer steady herself and walked into the kitchen, the counter was at the high of her hip. She found a pitcher of water and searched for a glass, clinking the dishes together.

Locus stirred, "Child?"

Fer smiled for the old women, "It's just me Locus. "

The woman's vines had become untied and curled in big loops down her back. Fer found a cup and took the glass of water back toward the bed. The sky outside started to fade from a dark to light, stars near the horizon disappearing.

"If you like, you can back to the Summerlands this morning."

"I do want to go back as soon as I can, I'm sure everyone is worried. How long have I been gone?"

"You've been with me for 3 days."

"three days?!" Fer remembered Fray barking as she rode off with Rook, Fray was usually right on her trail, and she told Grand-Jane she would be back later that night. "If it has been that long, I need to get back right away." She was still in the same clothes she had left home in, she looked for her jacket with the protective spells sown in by her Grandma. "I seemed to have lost my jacket." Fer said thinking, "and my quiver and bow...oh and all the books from the library..."

"You came with nothing love."

"Well, hopefully Rook has them," Fer looked into the metal surface of a pot hanging from the ceiling while peeling back the bandages. A large scar ran from just above the outside of her right eye into her hair above her eyebrow. It was healing well, she laid the bandage back into place.

"Here, child. Take this with you." Locus held out two rectangle jars tied together with twin. Wooden caps kept the uninviting looking liquid from leaking. Large lumps floated on the surface of the liquid and different pieces had settled at the bottom.

"What is this for Locus?"

"It is a remedy to heal a broken connection, you each need to drink one vial. ALL of it at one time." She turned her back and headed toward the door, "some chewing may be required."

Fer held the containers to her eyes, sure she could see fur drifting around in the sludge. Locus put a jacket on herself, I will walk you to the way, can you get home from there?" Fer nodded, ready to get home.

Standing on the stone steps in front of the way to the Summerland, Fer thanked Locus for her care and touched the pool reflecting the early morning sky of her land. The worlds seemed to spin more than normal, She staggered into a small gap between trees still bare of leaves of the summerland.

Holding her head she bumped into a male wolf guard. She grasped his arm letting the dizziness fade. She was better, but not great.

"Fer Lady! We are searching for you!" The two guards rushed her to the end of the trees where grasslands opened up. The lady tree was small in the distance, between her and it an army of water kin camped. Few mulled around, getting ready for the day.

"What is going on?"

"The dunes are looking for healers, the only two left are you and the birch-lady's. We expect they will arrive today. The water kin came through the way last night to warn you that their healer had been taken."

"Dunes? The sand monsters?"

"Yes"

A black horse galloped out towards her, he seemed to be happy to see her. "Phouka, you bad horse, take me to Grand -Jane's."

She turned to the two wolf guards, "have Fray meet me there." they nodded and lopped off with haste.

She was feeling tired again, but it was mostly likely a lack of food or dehydration. Grand-Jane would fix that and then she would have to find a bow and arrows, somewhere.

Phouka headed back to the little house Grand-Jane lived in, "Take it easy, Phouka, my head hurts."

she heard barking in the distance, the guards had found Fray, she would probably beat her to the house. Sure enough Fray stood outside the gate of the yard. "lady Fer! What happened? " Her shoulders clenched and she bared teeth, "...That Puck." She snarled.

"No, The dune caught us in the Birch lady's land, I don't know what happened, but the healer, Locust Honey kept me for 3 days."

Fray gave her a hand to get off her shadowy black horse. Fer opened the door to her grandmothers house. Jane sat at the table her face long with worry. "Oh Fer! You're bandaged!"

She sat in a chair while her grandmother removed it and looked at the wound. Fer poured herself a cup of tea from the kettle on the table."How did you get this?"

"I don't know. I remember the dune and then walking up in Locus house." Fer took a long sip of tea.

"What's happening here?"

"The water kins, drylanders, dampland, and the pucks healers have all been taken."

Grand-Jane brought her a sandwich. "Thank you. Hey, Fray, I lost my bow and quiver. I know I have more arrows up in the Lady tree."

The lady wolf went to the door and barked order to the other guards. The window slammed open unexpectedly, making everyone jump. The air blew sand into the house and the breeze was dry and hot.

Fer stood, taking her sandwich with her, "Come on Fray, lets go."

Outside the wolf guard was coming up to meet them a bow larger than Fer was use to in his hand and a red quiver full of her arrows. Phouka stamped his hove readily. She stood under the shadow horse and stroked the sides of his neck.

"You seem awfully fearless, Flynn." His eyes flames of red and orange, he gave a spirited whinny.

This would be the most trouble the Puck horse had seen in a while. "Well, the last time, I saw this," She grunted pulling herself onto the tall sleek horses bare back "...dune, I don't' think it went very well."

Fer unslung the bow off her shoulder and tested it out. It felt strange in her hands. "Now that I need my bow, I've lost it."

She pulled the strap tighter on the quiver so it would hold close to her small frame. From where she sat, a snake of sand coming through the way was visible. The water kin had 300 some people that stood, roughly 100 of them on fishmounts. They fidgeted watching the sand move irregularly. Fer though see saw a person come through the way and disappear behind the shifting wall of sand that had started to stretch out further toward them. Fray and 4 other wolf guards stood at her side waiting.

"Fray. It looked like someone came through the way with the dune. Lets see if we can find out more from them." The wolf seemed to stand sharper now having orders. She directed Phouka to advance up towards the others. The dunes mouth and eyes were becoming visible as it became more solid. The legs and body formed. It stomped its foot leaning out over the allies and the sand fell from the air on to the people. It let out its raspy cry.

For a moment they stood watching what would happen, The water kin had three leaders each guiding a different section of their troops. The fishmount leader rose his arm into the sky and made a practices signal. At that a quarter of the mounts reared on to their hind legs and spit fast moving streams of water toward the monster. When the water hit it seemed to make the sand heavy and it started to fall from the air and clump in dark brown clumps onto the ground. When the first were depleted the next set of mounts did the same until the air was clear and the dune had gone.

A giant gray bubble floated where the creature had stood. The fish mounts were still sending jets of water, covering the outside of the strange sphere.

Fer leaned in close to her horses neck,"Phouka, move up." the horse picked up a quick trot around the mass of water kin. Seeing clearly now, Fer could count four people behind where the monster had been. Two were guards carrying the ceramic box, one was a women wrapped in a brown cloak and veil, and the other was Terras. Fer pulled out the bow and set an arrow, she brought it to her face and watched the people down its shaft. Terras smiled a dirty smile directly at her.

The air seemed to become sweltering in a matter of seconds. The wet ground started as a dark brown began to lighten, dry, and crack from the heat. The leader of the fishmounts made another signal and now half projected water while the other half drank from large barrels their riders provided to them. What water hit the ground sizzled and steamed. Most of the water flew back onto her allies as the wind tripled, originating from the floating sphere. Fer put down the bow and held up her hand to shield her eyes. The earth beneath the bubble split allowing the dry sand underneath the wet sand to flow out. with a thunderous noise the wind instantly became fused with sand.

It was no longer possible to see anything. She heard a wolf guard next to her coughing as he sucked in the dirty air. Then all at once the Dune was above them.

"Oh, not again! Phouka, take off!" The horse turned to run as the thick sand arm reach out for her, she started to feel stupid for being this close to it. She felt strong hands push her off the Phouka's back urgently. Looking up from the ground she saw Fray's arms hanging over the black back of her horse. The stocky arm of the dune appeared out of a cloud of sand followed by its hollow eyes. It wrestled to pick up Fray and drug her into the air by her left arm. Fray had taken her dagger out of its sheath and waved it furiously at the arm to no avail, loosing grip the dagger fell to the ground. A wide cloud of black opened up bellow the creatures eyes and Fray disappeared into it.

Fer felt a rush of anger towards the Dune. She stood beside phouka and drew back an arrow, aiming for the creatures eye as she lit go the wind whipped the arrow off into the field that monster stood in. The firing of the first arrow seemed to signal to attack to the rest of the army. Now hundreds of arrows flew off to the monster. Most of them flew sideways and of course with the strength of the wind. Fer watched in anger and frustrations that fed into the next arrow. She breathed confidently she felt the rightness of the direction as she let it go followed by another in quick succession. She watched them and both seemed to pass through the monsters midsection making no difference.

The water mounts still pouring water on to the creature seemed to be slowing it down with constant renewal. At a last effort with the mounts water running out all mounts worked together wearing the Dune down, washing the sand off the floating sphere again, this time gray splattered with bright red down the bottom left half. Fer took a panicked breathe feeling for Frays connection to her, it was strong as ever. If she was hurt she was still alive. The sand started to cyclone again and collect into the dune. Fer pushed toward the troops leaders to try and plan for the next attack when the way to the nathe opened from the first light of dawn. The Lady in the brown cloak and Terras started over the bridge to nathe. The sand creature picked up the two sand kin guards and stepped to the bridge disappearing after a few steps.


	15. 15 Blue Fletching

Rook sat against the wall of the Dunes stomach, his heels dug into the bottom of the bubble to keep him from sliding to the very bottom. For the moment the creature had stopped stumbling back and fourth. A loud rumble emitted from the pit of the creature and reverberated through its body. Rook crossed his arms tightly, grimacing. The noise made his sternum vibrate, like a pit of grubs crawling in his chest.

The sound died and everything was still and dark. The small space became brighter as the sand swirled away, some became darker and fell, rivers of water poured over the sphere. Rook could see shapes out of it but could not tell of what. Grass, a mass of people mostly in blue. He stuck his ear against the wall still only hearing rushing wind and sand brushing against the enclosure. He stood in the center trying to focus outside, They were probably in the waterkins land. They had only passed through two ways, so it couldn't be. Leaning forward he put his hands on the bubble thinking. Scorching heat started to rise from the ground up. Leaning further forward still, trying hard to see through the skin of the bubble.

Suddenly, a booming noise came that sent a shock wave through the monster. Rook's knees buckled, his face rubbing down the side of the spaces rubbery skin. Instantly the room became darker while the sand returned to the outside. The wind howled around the outside. Rook laid at the bottom feeling stupid, hoping everyone didn't see him crumble into the floor.

Looking up into the dark room feet started to come through the crest of the sphere. Quickly scuttling to the side he realized he recognized those burly legs. Reaching out he pulled Fray from the ceiling, she tumbled down into the space.

She caught his eye and shot up from the floor, "This all because of you Puck! I'm sooo sorry I dropped my blade, I would take it out on your hairy hide."

"Is Fer here, is she fine?"

"She just showed up 30 minutes before the dune stepped through the way. You ran away with her 3 days ago!"

Well good Fer was still alive and here. Rook went back to sitting against the wall chewing on the skin of his thumb that had split, thinking.

Fray was still lecturing him. "How did she get that crack across her forehead? Huh Puck?" He bared his teeth at her, he felt guilty enough for hurting her, he wasn't gonna let the wolf know it was his fault.

An arrow with blue fletching whizzed through the bubble leaving a tiny rip in and out at the very top of Dune's stomach skin. Fray reached high and stuck her finger trying to rip the space open more, using her sharp nail, a jagged line started to form.

"That was Fer's arrow." Rook grinned thinking, "She knows you are in here, and she is still shooting?" Rook asked Fray, she nodded unsettled, thinking it through herself, still trying to rip the skin open further.

A hailstorm of arrows started to hit the outside of the bubble, most landed sideways or with little force. Rook was amused that they were shooting even though they just watched the wolf guard be devoured.

"She must think your dead already. Its because she's vegetarian, I have ate things that don't die right away, snakes mostly, they roll for along while depending on the amount of chewing. Vegetables don't-"

An abrupt pain in the left side of his chest interrupted his thought. He arched his back in pain and found his shoulder was pined to the wall behind him. A discouraging shutter filled his breathe and he tasted blood.

Fray took a look of shock moving to kneel beside him. "Well puck, this is awful and great at the same time you know?" He eyed her warily still trying to place what had happened, the pain made him feel slow. Fray placed her giant hand on his Right shoulder pushing him back to the wall. "I am not much of a healer" She wrapped her paw like hand around the bloody arrow hanging out of the very far left side of his chest. Rook watched understand now. "But I am a great at figuring ways out and Fer just sent us a tool!"

Rook took a staggering breath, "Fer's arrow? Curse it," he leaned his head back on the wall and clenched his eye shut.

Slowly, Fray pulled the arrow head out towards herself, His eyes welled and he bayed out in pain, while the arrow slowly lurched through his lung. He slid down to the floor now free of the wall. Rook sat up but the pain seemed to run up his neck and down into his back. Taking most of his brain power to breath gargled breathes, everything else seemed to be far away. The dune started to move again jostling the room back and forth. He leaned on his right side watching Fray, trying to growl but come out as a weak cough.

Giving her a burning glare, she smiled, "This might make you feel better, puck puppy. Really your not much of a puppy any more. That just means you can take it."

The outside of his vision had started to fade, behind Fray he could see large amounts of blood dripping down the wall and rolling towards where he laid. Resting his head on the round floor he watched Fray take the shaft the arrow in both hands, he closed his eyes, hearing the snap. pain filled everything and he blacked out.

Fray stood up next to the knocked out puck. The arrow head in her hand she went to the dunes side and easily cut the skin open. Out she saw sand, some of it filtering in. She stuck her arm out the hole to block the wind, seeing darkness with stars too bright to be normal, they must be in a way formed as a bridge. The only one from the summerland was to the nathe. That would work out great, they could escape, she would dump him off- she kicked Rooks foot thinking, and travel the long way back to the summerland.

The Dune sauntered on for awhile then stumbled onto different terrain. Fray looked out again. It was early morning but she couldn't make out what was going on around the Dune. They would have to move quickly the ways here were very close together, surely they didn't have much time. Fray bent over to Rook. "You are not looking very well, Pucky." She tossed him over her shoulder harshly.

Distractedly she licked the blood off the back of her hand. She looked out but it still looked the same. With one hand she sliced a tall hole into the side of the sphere, the sand started to fill the insides. Fray took a two legged leap out into the grass, hustling to the cover of bushes close to where she landed. She saw a desert lizard, and a lady wrapped head to toe in brown material and the dune that loosely carried two sandkin. Both were clinging to each other trying to stay secure in the sand cloud, had to be tricky.

The lady spoke, "We will try again, when the land is not guarded."

The Lizard answered but it was impossible to hear while the party continued through a way rippled in the lake.

Fray crept out and started to travel the long distance around the lake of ways to the nathewyr. It was early morning dark and and shadows lurked across the path in front of the wolf guard. She shrugged Rook onto her shoulder better, he grunted, she felt that was a good sign. With more of the morning light coming over the horizon it became clear the shadows were not in her imagination. Black spiders covered the path, from fist to watermelon sized. Her stomach started to knot with nervousness, she wasn't even a fourth of the way around. Turning to look behind her a black spider as big as a horse stood behind the wolf guard rubbing the puck limp on her shoulder with its feelers. Its eight eyes shined in the faint light, Fray became terrified.

Noticing a sound like thunder she turned to see 5 sets of glowing eyes gallop toward her. Some red, some yellow, some orange. They didn't slow down but shifted landing in their people forms, the red eyed man with long braids stood over her by a good amount. Three others took Rook from her. "What happened wolf?" Fray felt intermediate standing against the pucks and could not find her voice. He growled with anger. The other pucks were gathered around Rook now laying out in the grass, one gave a whiny bark and the leader turned away from her. They would care for him. The light had become bright enough the shadow spiders were hiding just inside the wooded area. No leaves were on the trees but masses of brown vines kept it dark. Fray watched behind her as she stepped into the lake of ways to start the long way home.


	16. 16 Will you Die?

Tatter had Rook on the kitchen counter. Most of the brothers milled around watching, helping if needed. The end of the arrow had spun freely, but was still difficult to remove, like pulling through thick mud.

Slasher burnt a hot fire, heating basins of water Tatter instructed Rip what herbs to infuse for healing in the lung. A kettle also boiled for tea, remedies, and cleaning. Tatter rubbed salved over the gashes and bandaged the wound, treatment would be needed again in a few hours but that was all that could be done now.

Asher gathered Rook into his arms and started to the bedroom that was shared with Slasher and Scrap, the three youngest. Tatter followed with more tea, speaking with the leader puck. His chest and yellow tattered wrap worn around his legs were stained with blood."Brother, I need more of different herbs, and Rook needs to be breathing in some of the remedy."

"What do you want Tatter?" Asher watched ahead pushing the door of the bedroom open with his foot.

Tatter knew his brother wouldn't be happy with it, but the Summerland had what he needed. Jane had what was need to help his brother breath, and Fer had a large array of healing herbs. He gave the frustrated sigh, not wanting to challenge the leader, and spoke quietly "The summerland, Ash."

Asher eyed him while resting Rook on the bed. "Fine, keep someone with him, we will depart at dusk." Tattered nodded settling beside his sleeping brother, soaking a cloth in tea and dripping it over Rook's parted lips. Scrap sat beside the bed, arms folded and resting beside his brothers, watching.

Rook woke to jostling. The thoughts in his head seemed disconnected, a sedated feeling. Scrap was laying in bed with him, the boys long black hair tickled, he tried to pull his arm away but a stiff brutal pain rain through his chest and down his back. Gasping in air, his breathe seemed to snap and burn. Whining quietly he attempted to rest.

Scrap smiled happily, "You're up! Slasher said to watch you so you don't swallow your own tongue like a dieing mare. Do they do that? Did you do that?"

Scrap was talking too fast. Rook turned the littlest pucks words over in his brain"Dieing mare?" His voice came out raspy and faint. Everything started to hurt.

"Will you die, brother?" Scrap was scooting closer looking concerned.

Rook watched him trying to keep each breathe shallow, repositioning his shoulder, it didn't make the pain any less. Scrap had been yapping on about other things and realized his brother was not listening, his young eyes scowled, his brother head laid back on the bed again, eyes clinched shut in a distressing way. A knot curled in Scrap stomach, for sure his brother was dying. He felt for the bag on a string around his neck hastily, put in his shifter tooth and changed into a fluffy black dog, barking sharply for his older brothers.

He heard someone stumble in the hall. The bedroom door swung open. Slasher had tripped in the rush, laying out on the floor and Tatter was stepping over followed closely by Rip. Scrap spat out the the tooth, again a boy, he spoke urgently, "He's dying!"

Tatter gave a grim smile, "probably not, scrap." and pushed the littlest puck off the bed sitting in his place. Scrap just rounded the bed and sat on the other side. Tatter took off the cover to look at the bandages now reddish brown in the center from blood still seeping through. Rooks eyes were closed but he was awake. The bandages came off easily, where the arrow had gone through was originally a short gouge now swollen and pink with infection. Tatter took Rooks hand of his uninjured arm, he still had a tight grip, it was hopeful.

Rook coughed weakly, "Everything hurts."

"I'll bring something in a moment brother, but it wont be much, you have to be awake. Asher has a puck plan. You have to be together, pup." Rook eyed them warily, what possible puck plan could involve him in this state?

Scrap was back to a fluffy black pup nestled up to his leg, Tatter had came and gone, bringing salve and tea. He breathed easier but the pain was still overwhelming. The sky outside the window started to dim. Slasher sat across the room at a cushion beside a low table. The room had been dark all day so Rook could rest and the brother had taken the opportunity to bring a apple sized shadow spider inside making circle bans around his left wrists and right bicep with shadow web.

Rook hadn't had anything to treat pain for awhile and it gave him an angry pit in his chest. He had got stuck in the stupid dune rescuing Tatter. If he knew he would be left in pain, he would have thought harder about running away before that cursed cat lady puck taken a bite into his leg. The least Tatter could do was help with the pain, and how had no one brought any food?

He stretch his good arm and tested the movement of the injured one. Moving slowing he got to his feet, which immediately felt unwise.

"Where are you going, brother?"Slasher asked, cupping the spider off the table and moved the black pet to his shoulder.

"Food," it came out raspy and quiet. wrapping his good arm around his brothers shoulder, Rook felt firmer.

"I would rather go and come back than take you with me."

Rook gave a shallow cough, "I want to be up." Scrap padded off the bed and out of their room, probably headed for brothers.

"Come on Slasher." Rook felt frail. His heart made strange loops of irregular beats and his breath came shallow and fast.

he started to think about turning around back to bed when Scrap came followed by Rip. "You don't look well brother." Rook wasn't listening, his heart took several shuttered beats that made his head feel light.

"Well Tatter is not feeding me so I'm scavenging." He hadn't realized he was so shaky, suddenly feeling week on his feet.

Rip reach out to stable him but Rook steeped away clumsily, his anger still bothering him. "No, Rip, what's the puck plan ?" It came out cold and he glared with the depth of his pain.

The bigger puck smiled, "It's will work out for everyone Rook, just wait." Rook didn't want to wait he wanted something for pain, food, and someone to tell him what this puck plan was.

Tatter came around the corner carrying a tray of food and tea which he shoved into Rips chest. "STUPID puck!"his brother hissed. Tatter put his ear to Rooks chest listening. "You are going to undo all the healing you've done." He sat Rook on the floor where he rested his head on the wall. Tatter whined to him."You've taken a weeks worth of herbs this morning, and the infection still spreads. We are headed to the Summerlands at dusk."

Rook gave an amused breathe, "how? I can't take the way, someone is going to take me? I don't want that."

Rip snarled, "oh, saving pride, puck in the hallway? you can't hardly travel the carpeted rooms, and you want to travel yourself across the way?!"

"No... Rize..." It took awhile to get enough air to talk again breathing so quickly, "he could take us."

Tatter turned in frustration, breathing through clenched teeth, "the dragon?! Oh, you bloody crazy puck," Tatter was not found of the embers dragon, all he knew of him was the damage in the sand territory. Rook was just relieved to be going to the summerland, for sure Jane would be better at keeping him fed.

It had already been close to nightfall. Asher, Rip, and Scrap headed out to the way to the summerland at the lake of ways. Tatter had helped Rook outside. He felt better now that he had a change of clothes, ate, and had the very last of the healing tea. They stood in the new spring grass looking up at the red dragon perched on one of the many roofs on the backside of the Nawarthe.

Rook nudged Tatter, "call up to him."

Tatter made a noise of disapproval, "Phhhffff, No."

"I don't have enough breathe in my lungs, Tatter, do it already." Really all he had to do was to think out to the dragon, but he wasn't going to tell Tatter that.

Tatter sighed a deep growl, " Hellooo, Ember Dragon, could we speak with you?"

The dragons neck swiveled to them and his two large bright eyes focused. Its back arched in a stretch and it leaped into the open sky extending two wings each as big as the width of the lake of ways. It soared for just a moment leaning into a dive toward the two pucks out in the grass, like a hawk hunting mice. Tatter gave a worried snort like a horse in danger. The dragon reached the ground flapping gently to the ground padding its feet in the soft grass as it touched the land. The dragon seemed well tempered, as always.

"I'm hurt, Rize, Take us to the summerland for healing herbs? "

"That would be fine, puck, we can race your brothers, I see them at the way now."

Clenched onto the thick scales of its leg, the Dragon was easy to travel on. Rook stood next to his brother, stable for the moment. Now clothed in a gray shirt and dark shorts he wished he had wore more. The air became steadily colder as the dragon circled higher and higher above the nathe. The nawarthe, trees, and lake looked unreal so far bellow them.

The rest of the brothers had left already, but as the dragon beat its wings heading to the star that was the way to the summerland, the land behind them disappeared and the dragon flew silently through the deep night that seemed too close to be possible. Below a silvery band connected the star ahead from the one they had left and four horses galloped along it, the way that bridged between the nathe and the summerland. Tatter howled down to the brothers happily, apparently warming to the ember dragon.

Arriving in the summerland covered in dusk, the dragon started to descend onto the clearing in front of the way from the nathe. Rize raised his wings into a great points straightened into the air above letting Rook and Tatter slide off the red taloned foot. The dragon gave a puff of smoke out it's giant nostrils once the brothers had stepped away and shot back into the air.

Rook felt the tiredness rush over him, cold from the flight, and pain was creeping back in again. Leaning forward Rooks black hair hung into his eyes, and he cradled his chest with his arms. Trying to calm the pain he took several slow, shallow breathes. Working to think coherent thoughts he directed his gaze out to the stars but his mind offered none. The sky blurred, the soft stars turning into long lines and Rook gave to the urge to lean back into the dirt and sleep.


	17. 17 Tale of Sirus

He woke on the couch in Jane's small house covered with blankets. Tatter and Scrap sat on the floor next to him while Asher and Rip sat at the table in Jane's kitchen. Jane was talking to them harshly at the door but he didn't understand. He had to have been medicated again, the pain was gone but his thoughts felt disconnected. Jane left out the front door with a slam, it made him happy to see them scolded by the frail old lady. The days light shined though the kitchen window, something was cooking, the wood fire oven ablaze, Tatter pumped water through the window to a tank out back of the small house. Rook pulled the blankets over his head, he knew it was going to be for him.

The door closed, Jane had came back in, Fray followed with something, that smelled like meat, yes rabbit meat. He sat up hearing laughter through fog. He tried to focus Jane was talking again.

"Breakfast will not be held at noon, if you will be staying under my roof, pucks." She was cooking eggs anyway.

Asher spoke,"We are leaving this evening at dusk."

Jane looked wide eyed at the leader puck, "With him?" She pointed her spatula at Rook, "looking like that?"

"A day can make a difference, Jane." The leader puck crossed his arms over his bare chest.

Jane let out a exasperated sigh. Tatter was done pumping water and began the steady circular motion of grinding herbs. Jane brought a plate off eggs, toast, and rabbit meat to him.

"The rest of you lot can help yourself." He had know she would feed him.

After breakfast for lunch Tatter sat down on a stool next to the the sofa that Rook reclined in and told him to get in the tub. "Brother, the steam will help with the inside hurt."

Rook just stared at his older brother, "Surely there is another way Tatter," baths where a last resort to most things in life, Rook laid back into the sofa where he had woke up at.

Asher spoke sternly over the noise in the room,"We are all here for you to get better. you will go," giving a nod across the table, "Rip take him."

Unceremoniously tossed into the outdoor tub, Rook coughed and strained water out of his hair with one good hand. Rip grinned and left. Fer had had the metal tank brought here from the human land right after Jane had arrived. Her grandmother had insisted she needed one. It was heated by the wood stove in the kitchen, larger that a horse trough and more comfortable. Really, it was easily larger than most dinning tables at the nathe, which was impressive.

Asher followed out, grinning at the sight of Rook in the tub in his shorts, gray shirt stuck to his skin. Tatter leaned out the window dumping the herbs he had been grinding into the tub, making the water a murky white.

"Pup, do you remember that story?" Asher cleared his throat and crouched down where his arms rested crossed on the side of the tank. Rook closed his eyes a headache easing into the space behind his ears and listened. "Remember, the last pack leader? my pack leader Sirius? He would have died a year or two before we found you. "

Sirus? that is what Rize had been talking about, a heart of Sirus. Rook didn't answer.

"At one time there was another land called the kingdom." Rook started to remember this story now. "Sirus had taken a wound to his side that would kill him, but he stole from the kingdom's lady and it healed him with the powers of the land."

This was just a tale, it wasn't real and there was no way he would betray Fer again. How could this be Asher's plan? Rook crinkled his eyes in distrusted feeling pain as his muscles tensed in anger.

Asher pushed on Rooks side with three fingers, "Pup? Surely you don't need more instruction."

"Asher..." The herbs in the water where making his head fuzzy again, if only the herbs would get rid of the pain of his headache. Surely if he could rest for several days it would get better. With much effort Rook stretched and tugged taking the soaked shirt off. There had to be a better way than this. He sunk deeper into the tank, the water stung his gash. Why did this have to involve Fer? Asher left and Rook rested his head against the metal rim watching the clouds pass over head trying to decide to betray Ash or Fer. A sharp pain pulled at his chest and up his neck and dissipated, while his heart tripped over itself. Maybe he would just die before he had to choose.

This time he woke to yelling. He didn't have time to respond before Rip stood over the tub with Fer gripped carelessly over his should, his smile was barbed with mischief. She was in shorts and a long green shirt over a another white shirt.

"stupid pucks," she mumbled as she fought before splashing into the metal tub.

She rang her hands through her short wet hair to get it out of her face, upset she reached out to slap at Rip but he stepped out of the way. She stared down at Rook with a look he didn't understand. Was she angry? He could see the only week old cut across her temple into her hair line. She seemed lost? He labored to set up better to give her more room to in the now crowded tub.

Her face change from confusion to recognition "Rook?!" She scooted closer, "You look like death."

"I feel like death," his voice came out quiet and raspy. At least he was starting to sound better.

"How did you get that?" she kneeled beside him and expected the cut. Feeling the heat from the infection she put her hand on his back, "It goes all the way through!"

"That is what arrows do." He tipped his head against the metal watching Asher view him and Fer through the window.

She slapped his on a knee that protruded through the surface water,"Well tell me how already!"

"Fer, you shot me," Rook coughed as she turned pale with shock. "I was in the dune with the stupid she wolf. Two arrows ripped through and the second one caught me."

Now all three of the older brothers were standing in the window listening. He hadn't told anyone how he had gotten pierced, wait tell the rest of the pack heard that one.

"I had no idea those creatures could hold people, I hadn't thought..."

He banged on the wall of the house with his good arm several times and the brothers quit staring out at them. He tried growling and it came out as a gurgle that tickled and made him cough even more. "no more arrows into dunes." She nodded in agreement.

He pointed to her head trying to talk less, "and, how you got that?"

"I don't remember."

It didn't really matter if she remember, but he wanted to know how she escaped. "in the birch lady's I tripped and you smacked your head on the pavement, I watch the dune pick you up and carry you away. How did you get out of that?" she uncurled her legs and squeezed in next to him both backs on the same end of the tub his arm behind her head.

"I remember the dune but not being carried by it, I went to the healer there. It was probably because I was hurt. She said that anyone hurt in that land is 'sent' to her."

She turned to face him taking in all the damage. His skin was as pale as a damplander. His eyes where not their usually yellow but a dull orange, of dieing embers, with no light to them at all. Tired dark circles directly underneath. Rook laid his head back resting, she placed her head in the space between his shoulder and chin. He really need to tell her about the books and Rize, but even the thought of going through all that made him more tired.

Steam came off the surface of the water rising to the tree branches that hung over the roof of the house. Light trickled through the fresh spring leafs in the early after noon. High fence stood off to the north and east, the house connected on the west leaving only one opening out into Grand-Jane's garden. It made a quiet hide away from even the breeze. Breathing had become easier from all the herbs mixed in the water.

Shifting his injured shoulder while flexing his stiff arm that laid across his stomach, he started putting thoughts into what Asher had said. Although he didn't want to steal this from Fer, he could push things in that direction and see what happened.

It was quiet a long story about how Sirus had taken a wound from a spear, during a clash between land pucks and the kingdom guard. Supposedly, Asher's pack was the last of the land pucks. When the kingdom lady visited the fallen guard, Sirus had tricked her close and stolen a kiss. The land, it healed the puck leader.

His thoughts were divided. It was a tale, was there even a chance of this working? and Fer...how would she take a kiss? He had no intent to be bound to her. Although, it was comforting to be stuck here alone with her, he hadn't realized it was possible to miss someone so much as this last week. The memory of not know if she was alive or dead stirred in his chest, maybe he wanted this.

Fer interrupted the thoughts, her eyebrows creased together, "are you alright? you seem, foggy. are you still in pain?" She sat up her hand crossing the injury again the healer in her looking for anything she could help.

He put his hand over her hand that slid across his chest. It wasn't new to hold her hand, he tugged her around holding her hand all the time. Actually this hadn't even been the first time they had been in this trough together. He had caught her doing Jane's laundry out here several summers ago and pushed her in, in turn she had quickly wrestled him below the surface.

But this seemed far different. Lifting her hand to his lips and kissed her long fingers on the very tip. She was still and said nothing but her eyes seemed pleased, framed by her short hair that laid in messy wet waves. Wrapping their fingers together he held her hand on his chest again.

With a skeptical crease to her brow, Fer questioned him,"What are you thinking?"

He watched the empty window to the house, the brothers must have found something better to do.

"Trouble."

Rook let go of her fingers, slowly wrapping his arm around her back to her waist, in a way he had never done to anyone before. She didn't fight him but fit right into place, rubbing the edge of his shoulder blade while pushing black hair off his face with the other hand. He felt content that Fer was going along with this.

A good rumble in his chest bubble from deep within. Rolling he shoulders back, ignoring the achy pain, he Fixated on the way damp wisps of hair fell in front of her untamed eyes, lips parted in a pleased smile. Swallowing hard he lifted his head toward her cautiously. She closed her eyes waiting, he brushing his lips against hers. Wildness seemed to stretch between them. Half human lady of the land and a puck friendship had seemed dangerous, but this prevailed by indescribable measures.

Drinking in the strength, he moved her closer with his uninjured arm, not letting her mouth leave his to wrap around her differently, she slid her hands across the broad of his back feeling the wound she had given him under her palm. The lands power in her sparked. Fer felt it pass from her heart and into his, a hole had been pierced through then and the lands energy rushed in and through like a gale storm. It orbited around in woven rapid twists encasing the two together.

The power faded and she could feel his hair sweep on her face as his fell away from her, as he toppled over and slid under the shallow surface of the water.

"Rook?" She pulled him up and propped him against the edge, his head bobbed and eyes closed.

For a moment everything was still, then out came a gasp, taking in a large gulp of air. She ignored his struggle, the wound on his shoulder was a white swirl scar, like the wind that blew through had brought healing. Fer pulled on him to look at his back and the same coiled scar marked sealed the wound there too. Like a star with eight points that twisted in a whirlpool.


	18. 18 Disbelief

He had recovered and was trying to inspect the wound himself in disbelief. Standing he looked at the mark in the reflection of Grand-Jane kitchen window. Fer stepped out into the dirt of the yard, rummaging through a chest that held linens beside the house. Hearing a thump in the empty garden in front of the house Fer turned rubbing a towel through her hair , Rip stood there with his back to her. Then Tatter lowered himself from the tree above, understanding now Fer looked up to the tree above the house, Asher still sat in a higher limb.

They had been watching Rook and her. Her mind started to twist. Why would they have been watching unless they knew something would happen? Rook came up beside her, he looked dangerous and strong, the opposite of what she had been tossed into the tank with.

She turned on him, "Why are they watching us, Rook?"

This wasn't the way he wanted this to go, their first kiss had been perfect, he hadn't thought to want a kiss from her, but now that it was his, he didn't want it tainted like this. He didn't want to tell her he used her powers to heal himself.

The brothers where headed towards them, he was still reasoning what to tell her, he didn't need their help. Shooting heated glares at the other pucks it didn't matter, Tatter took his arm and moved it up, feeling where the infection had been. Rip stood grinning.

Asher ribbed Rip and ran his thumb across the strange whirlpool mark on Rooks back, "Did I not tell you this would work, brother?"

Fer scowled, he voice was raised,"this was a puck trap?!"

Rook felt his strong, steady beating heart fall out of his chest, the last time he betrayed her it took a lot of work to convince her back.

With two fingers in her mouth a shrill whistle flared. Quietly at first, came drumming, Fer spoke irritatedly at the four of them, "I had other things to do today before you all wanted to play games."

The drumming now louder, easily recognizable as hoof beats. Phoutka ran pass the gate to Jane's yard then circled around and trotting in urgently to Fer. Asher came close and stroked the puck brothers, neck, Finn shook his head away from him.

"Finn, take us to the waterkin way and away from your STUPID brothers," her eyes were anchored on Rooks as she said it. Anger welled inside him, it wasn't stupid.

Mounting gracefully Photaka started off, the rhythm settled into Fer's empty chest. Disbelief filled her. how could she have been tricked again? "Why do I always go back to trusting them, Finn?"

Riding hard talking to Phoutka, he was a puck too, but stuck in his horse form from the evil Mor. He understood her.

"Pucks are so impossible!" Wiping a tear that ran down her check with the butt of her hand, she had wanted Rooks kiss. He was her best friend. But she wanted _him_ to want it, not because his brothers told him to. Sounds of someone following them made her turn. Another black horse raced behind them, making ground quick. Mane flying wild and his eyes burned of renewed fire. Galloping close enough to reach out and touch him, Rook cut Phoutka off, who stop abruptly and reared up, whining.

The black horse stood there, his anger made him stretch taller, hair falling in his eyes just as it usually did in his person form. He snuffed out his noise, mad. With a cloud of smoke he stood in front of her and Phoutka as a person, hair wet and shorts still damp. Rook took two long strides, grabbed Fer firmly by the wrist and tugged her off the horse.

"No, Gwenyfer. It is not stupid," Rook rose his voice, exasperated.

He pulled her out in to the field away from Finn, still holding tightly on to her, releasing only when they were several long steps away, still visibly angry.

Fer threw her arms behind her in frustration, "You came here for this! A kiss from a lady of A land?! I'm just convenient am I?"

He knew she was right to mad, she had reason not to trust him.

"I'm sure that is Asher's plan, yes." it was the truth, it was best not to lie to her, but he had to find away to make her believe him. "I wasn't thinking sharp, but it wasn't a mistake."

Rooks temper was calming but Fer felt the irritation grow hotter. "So Asher says to take from me and you listen? How is that not a mistake?"It had been her first kiss and he took it for himself. She felt used.

"NO. It isn't a mistake, Asher told me to kiss you and I want to do it. Even if it didn't work. You have to understand Fer." He lowered his voice and spoke desperately," I though you had died for days. I thought _ **I**_ had killed you for days!" He motioned intensely towards himself. She had to understand. "The dune took you and blood poured from what I had done, blood on the ground, blood on your coat," he started to pace a small circle.

Her face softened but bitterness coated her words, "Couldn't you have told me the plan?"

He stepped a breathe away looking down into her eyes, "and beg for it?! Why is it bad that it JUST happened, Fer?" Wasn't it alright it took nothing at all for him to share a kiss with her? Why should he feel like a dog looking for scraps if it could be that simple.

Phouka came to her, "I'm alright Finn." She pet his mane resting her head on his nose thinking over what he had said. "You've healed wonderfully, now let me pass, I had other things to do today, Rook"

"Nooooo," tossing his head in frustration, he growled deeper than he wanted to at her.

She sounded forgiving but he did not want to leave it. Putting his hand on the side of Finns head and pushing him away, he was still a brother he didn't want Fer holding on to right now. Taking her hands he pulled her farther from the dark horse.

"It was My first. your first?" She nodded wearily. He sighed, working through what to say, he couldn't have messed this up that badly. She wasn't feeling cooperative. Grinning he tried, "it just means there has to be a second and third?"

A thin smile showed and life came back to her eyes."I'll think about it."

"Why, think about, if you want it," He let go off her and stood waiting, "take it."

She loved the wild he was, she tried not to smile but couldn't help it.

"Well I don't." walking away towards Finn.

He watched her walk away from him for a moment, then called to her,"I was just at Jane's trough with you, and you wanted it then, Fer."

She didn't turn around to him, but shouted over her shoulder,"it's not a trough, its a tub, puck."

"Fine, maybe you don't know how to play this." With several skipping leaps, he caught up quick wrapping her tight, she laughed. "What if I want another kiss and Asher would firmly not approve, would it help?"

She put two hands on his chest pushing away, unconvincingly fighting his grasp, She could escape if she had wanted, she mumbled not looking at him, "Maybe."

He grinned at her, putting both hands in her hair, "maybe?"

Her eyes shined wild, she had stopped pushing, smiled thinly, and her checks had became flush, but her voice still scolded," maybe is all you're getting today."

"maybe it is then," with locked lips the two tipped over into the tall grass.


	19. 19 A New Land

Clinging to Rize's leg, he gripped the inside of a deep crack in the dragons skin. Tatter had thought enough to bring him clothes. Probably knowing before they left he was going to be bathed, which seemed unfair. Now dressed in his favorite shorts with bite marks and a missing hem and a blue shirt of slasher's, this day was turning out perfect.

From where he was Rook watched the wings lift up and disappear above the dragons torso. He knew enough that they were pulled high ready to propel the red dragon far away from the land in this single draw of its wings. He crouched down waiting and watching.

Fer was talking to Fray, preparing to leave herself, four yellow bees came to settle on her hair. Dry t-shirt and shorts and boots that covered up to her shins. Tattered boots she had worn since her human shoes had finally died several years ago. She glanced out to him two or three times with a happy smirk, he hope that meant he was forgiven. The puck brothers where headed out pass the grassy field to the trees, they would camp there until the day turned to night and the way to the nathe opened.

They hadn't had much to say about finding him kissing Fer out in the meadow. Really it had only taken a minute for the three older brothers to find him, and even less time for them to scold him, but what they had said wasn't friendly.

Asher had pressed he needed to go a separate path from Fer and go home to the Nathe. Well he wasn't going home, he needed to go back to the drylands, two days had past. It probably hadn't helped that Fer had shifted into a horse to the waterkin way, she was a fascinating mare. Not a speak of her black, instead she was covered in brown, splattered with white and white socks on each leg. A strawberry blond mane and sky blue eyes. Asher just became that much firmer in his decision.

Rize, thought to him, "Ready, puck?"

Rook spoke out loud to the dragon, "sure Rize."

Swiftly the dragon leaped from the ground. Fierce gusts of wind pressed down on him. It was hard to breath in the quick moving air, but the feeling passed and the wind came to a fine breeze. The bright sky was falling behind already far, far above the land. It felt like freedom not to use the ways. He had never though of how confining the ways were until the dragon.

"I hear your thoughts, puck."

Curse it, he forgot the dragon 'heard well'. The dragons wings moved at a steady beat now. "So, what of it dragon?"

"Sirus always loved the freedom of flying in the same way you do."

Sirus, that was the name Rize and that girl puck had fought about in the sand territories.

"I only know one Sirus, and he was the old Pack leader before Asher."

"yes." the dragon hung on to the word for a moment like a memory. "It's the nature of land pucks not to know their heritage. How does one find out where they were abandoned from? But I know, and it's seems relevant that you now know." The dragon changed course to a different star.

"Rize, we have to go to the drylands." the dunes were still causing trouble.

"This lands time works differently, we could spend days on its surface and still come back to the second we set foot on its soil."

"Fine, but explain to me why before we get there? What about Sirus heritage?"

The brothers always left him the dark, he hope the dragon would not do the same.

"It maybe be hard to explain it all. Let see," white smoke trickled out from the dragons nose and drifted behind them as they travel quietly, "Sirus is from the kingdom, where we are going. I had been bound to his family as a gift for saving my...my mate." The dragon spoke slowly as if the memories were hard.

"those times where well, the kingdom was alive and it served all the other lands. The kingdom guard was made entirely of pucks as it had always been. With their strong horse hearts, truth vision, quick thinking, each with three forms to help, and no capacity to wild, pucks where prefect guard. They flourished under Sirus who stayed in close bond with all the kingdom pucks. Every change of season they invited the leader of each land to the kingdom for a review. there would be a grand celebration and each land would state what they needed and what they could offer. In cooperation the lands thrived."

The dragon's words drifted dreamily off, but picked up fierce with anger, darker gray smoke began to trickle out as he spoke. "Then one spring, on the first day of spring. Every leader joined the kingdom for the review. Every kingdom puck, every lands lady or lord, Sirus and his family..." The dragon glided taking a strong stroke through the air every great while. "They were all there. I had been bound to the drylands." a lick of flames came from each nostril. "that is when the humans where still involved in the lands. The human attending, took from Sirus wife Zay, her stone to get through the lake of time even though he had be bound to serve and protect the kingdom making the land forsworn." Sorrow seemed to capture the dragon.

"It spread too quickly causing the other lands to start to be infected. The human, escaped through the way to the human land from the kingdom, but possessing the stone to the lake of time made the time in their land speed up and that land became foresworn too, killing all the magic there, that is why the human world is the way it is today. While, In the kingdom to protect the other lands a healer closed all ways in and out of the kingdom till the curse was beaten." A large land was starting to become clearer as the dragon locked on to the star. "What she didn't know was it wouldn't be beaten. All the kingdom pucks, all the leaders... ...Sirus' family. They died. Only one escaped after the human. No, two, two escaped."

"Rize I don't need to know any of this about Sirus' heritage."

The dragon shook his head frustratedly, then produced a sarcastic laugh, "you need to know all of this and more." Spoken sternly "Retain it, Palio."

Rook corrected the dragon "I'm not Palio."

"Yes. You. You are Palio. And it is not Sirus' heritage, it is yours."

Rook laughed at the dragon, he didn't want to know what came before him, he was happy with what he knew. The land ahead of them was brown, the trees where dead, the grass was dry, the dirt was cracked. "Its a dead land Rize."

"Yes but it is your origins."

Set back in the trees was a stair case, Rook shifted padding up the stairs as black dog and shifting back. The platform on top was large enough to set 3 houses. Numerous discolorations showed of ways that had once been but now dried up and closed. In the middle stood a bigger way that reflected the empty sky above. Four fat white stone pillar with many indentations stood at each corner of it. Something inside him wanted through desperately.

Wondering closer he asked, "Where does this lead?"

"That is the way of time. It only opens once a year." Rook put the edge of his foot in the water, curious. Nothing happened.

"Huh." He let out a breath, "anything else? Or can we go?"

Rize seemed sorrowful, "The memory of this land burdens me, for all that I helped you, swear. Swear the next time the way of time opens, take me home?"

"You cannot go yourself?"

"no." Rook hated oaths, but he owed the dragon that much for not eating him when he asked to be taken to the sand territories. "I owe you that, Rize, I swear." The oath stretched between them and could not be broken.


	20. 20 Translated

Back at the drylands it was early afternoon. Rize landed gracefully and Rook jumped off into the dirt not knowing what to say to the dragon. "Thanks Rize." The dragon padded the grass like a cat getting ready to lay down. "No puck, soon you will figure out it is you that I should thank." Rook eyed him wearily, trying not to think about the dragons foreboding statement or that he had called him Palio, again. The dragon would hear his thoughts.

Inside Hunfrith house was packed with people. At the tall table sat Gnar's giant grandember with 2 other titans and a shorter table had been sat out. Gnar, Lich and four others sat at the table scattered with papers.

Hunfrith craned down to look who it was."Robin! Find that dragon did ya'?"

Rook came further out of the hallway and into the high ceiling room. Standing in the middle of the living area in his shorts and bare feet.

Gnar gave a sly smile, "Ah, That ember dragon is tricky. It seems to have taken your boots and changed your trousers?"

laughter passed around the room. He said nothing. The dragon sat 50 paces out the door, maybe he would still be there when they left.

He spoke deeply, "are the books translated?"

"Impatient puck?" Lich prodded while leaning over a book in a language Rook didn't understand

"Usually" He growled.

They seemed to think he was tame. Lifting himself up on to the kitchen counter eating from a tray covered in bread, cheese, and dried meat he started to think about how to prove he was unbound without being kicked out of the house and still getting a translation of the books. A shrill shriek came from outside. Many let out gasps of surprise. One lady stood up in alarm knocking over her chair. Everyone headed to the window to peer out at the ember dragon on grass.

Great, the dragon was trying to prove he was wild. It would do it, but he could prove it without help. Growling he ate the rest of a strip of meet and pushed bodies away from the window, yelling at the beast,

"I do NOT need your help, Rize! I can prove my own nature!"

A voice in his head made him jump, "just trying to help," he wondered back into the room away from the others.

"well don't" he said out loud to himself causing Gnar to glance at him out the corner of her eye. Great now he looked wild, unbound, and crazy. It had gotten quiet. No one had told him anything, again, like his brothers.

Frustrated he yelled, "The books? Does anyone have information on what is in the books?"

Hunfrith gave a good chuckle. "You are a fury storm Puck. Quiet down, you've only just walked in. It's all done and ready." Getting out the chair and stretching papers and papers fell from the high table. "You brought the dragon?"

the dragon really brought him, but he wasn't going to correct the man, "yes."

Hunfrith tapped a pen meditating. Putting down the pen he sorted through the wavy paged books that Rook had brought.

"Here, Bowen, you give everyone a summary." Passing one book down to a tall Lynx man. The man was thin and lanky. sharp teeth and eyes. Sandy hair and pointed ears with black tips. He cleared his throat,

"The first book was entirely about the dune creatures." He licked his fingers with a broad rough tongue before turning several pages into the book. The page he had turned to showed a picture of the ceramic box Rook had seen.

"The way to create a dune is all written out. It is actually only a sphere, from there it can become a windstorm, cyclone, or take a bodily form." Bowen pointed to the picture, "The ceramic box is to carry the formula of herbs and minerals that forms the inside hollow, but that sphere has to draw the sand from the environment around it. One ingredient that is use for the sphere is an odd mineral called...dutkap. That mineral creates its own heat, that the dune uses to dry wet sand so it can continue its supply of sand in damp weather . But interestingly enough, it can get no hotter." Bowen flipped almost to the end of the book, "If the dune heats up any further than the warmth it creates, the inside hollow will break apart and melt the sand with it." The picture depicted what looked like a glass tree with a swollen trunk. "But no where in this book does it say that the dune creates its own ways."

"It has to I watched it." Rook twisted his neck trying to look at the notes from across the table.

The lynx man shut the first book with a thud, "Just...wait."

"This book about the paths we call ways. In here they call them ties. They link the lands by bridges if they are close and channel if they are further apart. To create a 'tie' takes fire and a good amount of red rock called seaforl."

Rook shook his head, "No, they had neither, there has to be another way-"

"Slow your chops," The Lynx gave an irritated look to Rook, "Ways can also be reopened. They have to reopen in the exact same place the original way was. That is also laid out in this book." Bowen gave a another distracted lick to his finger, flipping to the center of the book. A map of the lands and there ways painted out.

"10 main lands and 20 miner lands and the kingdom. The ways to the kingdom are listed here." He pointed, "but it takes a crystal. A ...uh... lugget crystal. Usually dark purple in color."

Rook mumbled pushing dark hair out of his vision,"The bubble inside the dune has flecks of dark crystal."

That could be, it could be ground into the concoction that makes up sphere."

Rook started to think the information through, Why though? Why did Isla and Terras want healers memories? Why the dunes? Why the ways?

Bowen closed the book and went to the high table pulling the last two books off. He sat down the green one and thumbed through the other. "The ways to the kingdom where all build on platforms, with 40 stairs up to the way." Bowen flipped the book around to show the listening people. It looked like what the birch-lady's lands ways only twice as high. "When the kingdom was closed from the inside the ways disappeared. The people of the lands destroyed or dismantled the staircases. Now who ever is trying to open those ways again need something that can reach up to the same height that the ways had been originally. I would assume is why they are using the dune." He picked up the other book and shuffled pages from back to the front, "But the kingdom. It use to be the order to all the lands, the elders from the nathe and the lorde or lady from each land would meet there four times each year at the change of each season for something-a..."

Rook interrupted, Rize had just told him about this, "a review."

"Yes, there is lots of things in this books, its all translated and written down, but I'll tell you the part about the ways. When the kingdom had dissolved, it had lost its lord and lady, the land had become forsworn, and the healer took it upon herself to lock all the ways from the inside to protect the rest of the lands. To open the ways there are instructions in these pages," he gestured to three pages he held. The ways could be opened by the lugget crystal but they would just loop from the closest land to the next until all 10 main ways where connected. The last step would have to be done in the lake of time inside the kingdom and that process is pretty normal except that the technique calls for a memory from each healer of the 10 ways. but until someone comes out of that land, it's locked."

Rook was looking at the pictures in the book, "The lady of the sand territories is from there, and Rize, the dragon," Rook motioned out the window, "he took me there, we visited right before coming back here. It was dead but we had no problem getting to it." hushed mumblings of worry seemed to filter through the small group. "What if the kingdom opens?"

"It depends, If it is still forsworn, or who would be crowned head of all the lands."

Over _all_ the lands? It made Rook think of the Mor. What would have happened if she had been over all the lands? or that lady puck, if that was what she was after. That didn't sit any better with him. Even Fer, her land healthy and well taken care of, to take care of all the lands would be undertaking. It didn't seem fit for anyone.

"The last book is translated but was more about the kingdom that didn't seem relevant." The lynx settled that book on top of the stack, then pushed them across the table to Rook.

A badger man from beside Gnar spoke, "Now what?"

Another one of the titians, a women rose from her seat, she was dressed as military from the drylands, "How many of the lands have had their ways to the kingdom awakened?" she boomed with authority. "Then have any of the healers given a memory?"

"How would you tell?" now Linch inquired.

The women lent over and knocked the first book off and opened the second flipping pages she grasped the book in one hand reading, "To take a memory the healer would place a red hot metal lipped bottle behind the ear." she looked over the people while she stood tall. "Everyone check their lands healers for a burn behind the ear."

"What about the dune, we could destroy it with heat? Surely the ember dragon could burn it to dust." Gnar spoke eagerly.

"No, my warriors of the dryland will take care of this with the dragon mounts. Not something wild, I'm sure not all of my soldiers are of good hearts, and I don't want casualties from being allied to a wild ember dragon."

Hunfrith spoke, "I have to agree the dragon mounts do not burn as hot as the ember dragon is suppose to."

Rook listened and stood from where he had been crouching to look outside, it was a lot of information in a short time. Walking to the window to see the dragon. Where he had been, he was now gone. Surely Rize was listening.

Rook thought to the dragon, "Rize?"

The dragon didn't answer immediately, "What puck?"

He couldn't help but think the dragon sounded surly. "Is the kingdom good? Should it come?"

The dragon had seemed so lonesome for it back at that land maybe these people needed a little wild, a little of the unknown. "It may not be what it had been, it could be very good and it could be very bad."

Rook thought, you could destroy the dune, Rize. The dragon didn't answer. Now the oath to the dragon came to mind, turning, "When does the lake of time open?"

They had been talking and he interrupted. Bowen's eyes closed into slits thinking, he rummaged through a couple of books. "first day of spring."

"How many days are we into spring now?"

"Each land is different, it would the first day of spring on the kingdom. And that I do not know."

Rook paced and it had neither looked like winter, spring, summer, or fall, it had felt dead and season-less.

"Okay, where are the translations?" They would need to get moving.

"Okay?" The educated titian asked confused.

"ugh, human word." Why no one could catch on but him..

"They are written in between the lines of the books" Rook stacked the books again. Thinking.

"Thank you Hunfrith, and everyone."

"Wait are you leaving?'

Stupid question of course he was leaving, he didn't answer.

"It will be dusk with in the hour, Robin."

"When the dragon flies from one land to the next it is dark anyway. It doesn't matter day or dusk, it would be the same."

"Who will keep you for the night?"

"I don't need kept," Like he needed a stable to nestle in, "but if I wanted I would have somewhere to stay."

It made Rook think of all the times he had slept in the Lady Tree on the floor of Fer's room and even if he missed the way with the dragon he could be to his own room with his brothers at the nathe. With the books under one arm he opened the closet that held his coat, and Fer's bow and quiver. Slinging what he had over his shoulder and left.

The warm air of the drylands felt refreshing. The grass was hardy from the constant heat and felt coarse under his bare feet while walking out toward the sunset. The last light orange and pink fading into a dark blue covered in a blanket of swirling stars. Thinking how close he felt to death this morning and so alive in this moment. A great shadow passed over him and settled onto the side of the rock face above him.

"Dragon, the kingdom has no spring, because there is no way to it and no one to bring it spring. The lake of time will never open."

The dragon snorted out small licks of flames from each nostril seeming to process the thought.

Rook had seen this before, and knew what needed done,"The leaf women can bring spring though, and then the lake will open."

The dragon jumped off the rise onto the ground in front of him making the land rumble.

"let us fly fast then, Puck."


	21. 21 Bound?

The summerland was dark with few lights. The lady tree hung high in the horizon. Perfectly quite, new leaves rustling in the wind. He watched for Fray, she would be somewhere. Climbing the ladder to Fer's wood-shingle tree house, he pulling the pack close to his shoulder. Rook moved back the fabric door to her dark room as he had done hundreds of time before. She laid asleep in the tall bed, he paid her little notice, setting the bow and quiver against the wall, where they belonged.

Unpacking the translated books, he held them for a moment before reconsidered and stashing them again to take with him. Fer breathed steadily her hair cut just below her ears curled softly away from her face, night gown twisted around her legs. They were much too old for this, he had never really though of her before in the way he though of her now. Ash would be angry that he was even here.

Ducking back out, on the other side of the door stood Fray. She growled from the edge the balcony.

"Nasty Puck? Your pack know your here?" Her sharp ears twitched with distaste.

He growled at her moving another step closer to her.

"I was told you are to stay away from our Ferlady." when she said our, he knew she didn't mean him.

"by who?" He knew who, but asked out of anger.

"Them." Fray pointed out to Ash and Rip standing beside Grand-Jane house.

Oh curse it they didn't leave. In frustration he pushed Fray by the shoulder over the edge of the wooden railing. She grasped on to the platform ledge by one large hand, two other wolf guard came running out to help.

Down the ladder he started, calling up to her,"maybe if you had a arrow broken out of someones chest you could figure your way out of that...stupid wolf."

A jump from the last few rungs of the ladder he stuck his hands in his pockets of his very torn up shorts. His eyes down, dark hair hung low across his face. He didn't have to go to his brothers, he could run, he could call for the dragon, but they were his brothers, if he put this off it would get worse.

Ash growled to him,"Its not even an hour past dark, pup and you are in her house." He had always been welcome there before.

"I just left the drylands where her bow and quiver had been, I returned them and left." They had to see Rize come. The dragon had not set down in the summerland only 10 minutes ago. It wasn't a subject he want to stay on with them. Drawing the books from his pack he changed the subject,"we need to check the healers, Tatter and Fer, if they had a burn behind their ear."

"Why pup?" Asher asked arms still folded across his chest.

Rook looked back up to Fer's tree. She hadn't been caught yet, she would be fine, but Tatter, he had been caught. "Someone in the lands is opening the kingdom."

Rook started heading to the tree lines where a fire burned visibly just inside the woods, the others followed.

"Someone is taking healers memories and Tatter was caught in the sand kins territory." It had to be that puck girl and Terras trying to open the kingdom, they were kidnapping healers, they controlled the dune.

The three pucks reached the clearing. Tatter and Scrap slept in a heap in the grass. Setting down the bag and books he knelt to check Tatter for a burn. Rook swept a hand across his neck to bend up his ear-nothing. Leaning across his brothers, Scraps slept soundly as a puppy across Tatters bare chest, the younger brothers fur tickled his neck. Pushing away a thick bunch of hair, a half moon burn shown in the light of the fire. Rook's nerves jumped, it was true. Until he had seen the burn behind his older brother's ear, it had seems something of a fantasy, but now...

Staying in the summerland through the night the pucks waited tell the early morning. Then Tatter retold how him and all the other healer that had been caged in the stone slab building had a memory taken.

"It was the lady puck. She is a healer. She took a bottle, with a metal rim. She heated it and would said something. A day, a name, and what ever came to mind that person lost. "

Asher and Rip looked at each other with concern, "and what did you lose?"

Tatter shook his head, but said nothing, he didn't know.

Rebuilding the fire, Rip roasted rabbits for breakfast. The brothers talked, they had food, the weather was warm, first light was still awhile off. It was probably the best chance Rook would get to explain that spring needed to brought to the kingdom for the lake of time to work.

Ash seemed well with this plan until, Rook pressed, "I cant take spring some where."

"Well I guess you don't need to go then, do you?"

"yes, I swore to the dragon, I would."

"well that is your stupidity, isn't it pup. Out of all of us you should be most wary of giving oaths like that."

Rook, rolled his eyes at the leader, "It's not the Mor, and I just need to go with him there."

"why?" Truthfully Rook didn't know, why couldn't the dragon go by himself.

Rook shrugged, and gave a wide eyed rebellious answer, "because, Ash." Trying to roll the conversation back to its intended destination, "but without spring the way of time doesn't open." He stood on the very edge of a stump balancing on the heals of his feet, "but Fer, she has done it before, she could take spring."

"NO."Asher barked through a mouthful of roasted rabbit.

"Why?" Rook stepped from the stump, to take another skewer from the fire.

"Because this does not concern her! and beside that kiss, has fogged your thoughts."

"My thoughts are clear," he bite into his rabbit meat and moved back to the stump, "and it wouldn't have happened unless you told me to!"

"ONCE!" Asher tossed the meat out into the trees upset."It wasn't a freedom. It was a, what's best for the pack, and it was best, at the time, you didn't die!"

Rook now stood on the stump on one foot unphased at the leaders anger, "So, if I'm dieing again?" he did get into these sort of situations...

"Absolutely not! The next time we will let you suffer and die. Then you will be buried with the rest of the passed pucks. Besides, it doesn't work twice." Rip, Tatter and Scrap seemed to think this was funny.

One of Fer's fat bees came buzzing into the clearing they were sat at. Rip noted it, "What's it have to say?" Pointing with a cooked rabbit leg.

Tossing the clean rabbit bone to the grass, Rook headed to the bee,"Probably to shut-up. That our fighting has woken everyone from here to the prairie. "

Rook plunked down on a log beside the dancing fire. The bee came to rest on his shoulder climbing up his neck and into his hair. It sang a soft song, ""bzzmmmzzzuuppmm" Fer was looking for him and he was to come to her. He couldn't with his brothers. Pinching the fuzzy bee he spoke to it. "I can't come, she will have to come out here." It crawled to end of his finger and buzzed off into the air.

"She cannot come out here!" Ash was still being noisy, and what he said made no sense.

"Why? it her land."

He stood confidently, pointing to his chest, "And it is my camp."

Rook looked at his other brothers for assistance, "Rip? Help me."

Help you, what? Argue with Ash," the older dog growled, "no."

Asher came to sit next to Rook. "We are your pack. We will stay true to you and we will stay true to her, the brothers gave our word. It has been a long time since anyone has been that brave," he paused, "and stubborn enough to be as close as Fer is to us. She welcomes us, tolerates us, she is one of us. We have all felt the change she has made. " It was true, the fights that came between the brothers were less like wild dogs and the pack wasn't so cold to helping others now. "there is not much of a pup left in you. This isn't play, Rook." Ash had been the only pack leader Rook had ever had, and loyalty ran deep to the older dog. "It's clear your still bound to her, it isn't wise for a puck to be bound. You out of all of us should know that. Just go your separate ways, Rook."

It wasn't long before Fer crossed into the clearing, red shirt, blue shorts, her short wild blond hair swooped out away from her face, bare feet, quiver and bow hung across her shoulder.

"You found my bow and quiver! Did you get the books too?" He grinned from ear to ear watching Ash burn.

The books sat on the grass next to him, Rook bent down to retrieve them, his ear next to Ash's face, "Don't push me pup."

Still bent he locked eyes with his pack leader. "I'm not bound to her Ash."

Taking the books to Fer, she opened the top one, her eyes wide with shock, "Are they all written in?! These books are centuries old!"

He pointed to the writing, and spoke in a quiet whine, "Fer, it's the translation."

she leafed through the wave water damaged pages,"look at the pages, did you dump them in the lake?"

Rook smiled, straightening the pages of the three books he still held, "I think what you are searching for is, thank you. This took work, FER."

She huffed out holding a book by one edge as its cover slid off. "Yup, that is exactly what I meant."

"but that doesn't matter just yet," taking the book from her and backing them in his bag,"the kingdom needs to have spring brought to it so the lake of time will open."

"I don't have any idea what you are talking about, besides, I don't do that the leaf women does." She strolled around the fire to Scrap who stood with open arms looking for a hug.

"Yes, I know that, but once when you took the land from the Mor, the leaf women gave you power in a stick, maybe she could do that again."

"or you could take the leaf women." Rip interjected.

Rook rolled his eyes,"Phhtt, no."

Fer ignored him, "I don't think she would go, but I could always ask." Leaving the clearing two bees sitting on the edge of her bow.

It has started to burn inside him, he watched her making sure she was out of ear shot. "Why is this so important to you Asher?" Fer was a good friend, why couldn't they talk?

No one thought it was funny anymore. "She is the lady of the land and you are a puck. It cannot end well, pup." Asher took a frustrated breath and shook his head, "just let go of her."

Mid morning Rook finally escaped his brothers. After another hour of lecture, Asher and Rip had gone stalking after one of the wolf guards to cause some undetermined trouble, leaving a good chance to run away. The brothers should have left that morning but hadn't. the weather was much better in the summerland than the nathe, and they had no reason to go, Fer didn't mind them and they knew it. Besides he was starting to get the idea they liked that their presents here was causing him pain.

Running quietly along the edge of the wooded land in the shadows he looked for Fer. He knew where the leaf women stayed, it would be easy to trek out to her. A smell floated out across a breeze. something spicy, many herbs mixed together, the strength of it prickled in his nose, changing course he headed toward it. Roaming into the trees, the scent became stronger as he near a small dirt den, grass growing on the roof of it, a red door blocked its entrance trees stretching tall on either side. The trail had came from here. Shifting he had a sense of what the smell was but he didn't know for sure.

Being here made the hair on his neck stand on end, This was the stupid lady wolf and her mate's house. The door opened allowing the sweet odor out transfused with the stink of the wolfs. Still he had been right, Fer stood there with a new patch jacket, the spicyness from the freshly dried herbs in her pocket.

She hadn't turned out yet and spoke back in to the house, "...it will be fine, just rest for a couple of days, Fray."

She shut the door behind her and caught eye of him and glared, "Fray's ankle is badly sprained." She eyed him as she stepped over a fallen branch in the path, "and she has a good scrap across her thigh from falling out of the lady tree last night."From the tone in her voice he new Fray had told her it was his fault.

Rook couldn't help but smile, "that's a pitty, poor wolf."

Fer's glare hardened over the insincere comment, "She was just doing her job, leave her alone, alright?"

The woods thinned to a brown leaf covered path leading out to the edge of the wooded area, the trees canopy of fresh leaves breaking up the early morning light. Following two strides behind Fer, Rook inhaled the scent."New coat?"

She answered him, "Yes Grand Jane has been working on It for awhile, my last one was getting awfully ratty." It had the same style flowing just past her knees and a grand hood. Her hair stood out against the dark colors different from her old faded coat.

Rook's thoughts becamed rushed, he needed to get moving if he didn't want to see his brothers again today, "To the leaf women?"

Fer stopped just before the threshold out onto the open grass, "No." She seemed lively in her negative statement.

"Why?" Maybe she was going to send him to do it himself, she probably had other things to do.

"because, I've already been," Fer said bringing out a broad green leaf from her pocket.

"That is perfect." relief that she was so cooperative.

"Yes," now it was her eyes that shown with trouble, and trouble they would have when his brothers caught up.


	22. 22 Last Link

Wary of his brothers, Rook called to the dragon in his thoughts,"Rize, lets get out of here."

Not in sight Rook heard the dragon's thoughts inside his mind,"come to the nathe's way, puck"

Rook forgot what he was doing and spoke out loud startling Fer walking beside him against the outside of the wooded area, "No, the pack are camped just inside the trees there. Where else could we meet?"

"What?" Fer eyed him suspiciously walking next to him.

Rize answered inside his thoughts, "No, puck. I am watching your brothers. You will make it...most likely."

"curse it," Rook dug in his pocket and started walking backwards to speak to her, "Fer-"

"What,Rook?" She almost growled it making the right edge of his lip curl in a grin he tried to hide. They were rubbing off on her as much as she was rubbing off on the pack.

"Anything else you needed to do here or are we leaving?"

"This instant?" Fer's eyes folded into slits, and her brow ruffled.

"Well, I was hoping so, the dragon says we need to hurry."

Fer slowed to a stop, cocking her head and wrinkled her nose in disbelief, " you _heard_ that. The dragon was back at the ways."

They couldn't stop, Asher had to know he was missing by now. Rook grabbed her elbow sliding his hand down her arm to grasp her fingers pulling her along faster, "I didn't...well I did but," this was hard to explain, "inside my head. The dragon says he 'hears well'...which is he short for he pries at every thought and answers what he want to. Are we going now or not?"

"will we come back today?" Rook didn't answer which either meant no or he didn't know.

She stopped again,"I just got back. You know we have the spring celebration here in less than a week, and I gave an OATH to the waterkin we would help put in crops at the end of this month, ROOK."

He did know this, "Fine, I could..." what could he do? he paced, wanting to keep moving even while she stood calmly in front of him, not budging. He wasn't a healer he couldn't take the spring. He didn't need her, but he really didn't want to take the leaf lady or Tatter. Maybe Tatter would be okay, or, he pushed his thoughts out to Rize letting the dragon know he wasn't coming quickly any longer, "I could wait."

"Wait tell when? I am booked tell Fall." She picked dead branches out of wild fruit trees on the edge of the wood with irritated tugs, " you know my days have more to do than stealing chickens, starting fights, kissing ladies, and causing trouble."

Lowering himself against the trunk of a tree she was pruning, he teased, "you kiss ladies often?"

Snapping another branch free she tossed it at him, "just as often as I've been stealing chickens."

He would have to ask Tatter to get the leaf from Fer and they could go to the kingdom, there would be another lecture from Asher, but that was not new. Fer moved pruning trees further in the wooded area. The air was warm but the wind still had a cool touch to it, and he thought of running through the fields by the river that flowed just east of here before heading to Tatter, there was usually something out that way worth seeing. Shifter bone in hand he edged it into place to leave, taking a last glance at Fer before heading out. She stood just inside the trees arms out, palms to the land, listening.

He pulled the shifter bone out, "what is it?"

She was still listening. "Someone is coming."

Pushing against the tree, Rook stood, "yeah. Asher and he was in a bad mood when I left. Anger does not usually get better with time with him."

"No. It's not Ash." She open her eyes and stepped deeper into the tree line looking in the gray shadow of the trees. "It was something, else."

Rook eyed the shifting shadows under the canopy of trees curious," like what?"

"It's stupid. There is no way I heard the land right." She stood again listening for a moment then crouching down to peer out into the brush in the trees, mumbling, "there is just no way."

Rook moved closer interested. "you know I picked up a dragon this week..." Fer pushed him away for his sarcastic encouragement.

"yes, that is stupid and unbelievable too."

"So what do you think you hear?"

"fine, a cat. but a really big cat."

Rook pulled Fer up out of the brush gruffly with one hand under her arm, and pushed the both of them into the clearing asking urgently, "where?"

"Close, it was behind us through the orchard. Why what is it?"

"It's the sand kin lady, she's a puck- but her form is a mare or a giant cursed cat."

"a lady puck? how do you know that?!"

"She is the one with the pet dune, Tatter and I where stuck in her cages in the land." He craned his neck back into the trees looking for her shadowy feline form. "Also she is not fond of me," and that was before he threw her shifters into two separate ditches.

He spoke out to the dragon now, "Isla is here Rize" but Rize didn't answer.

Rook stared off into the trees feeling the familiar fish spin symptoms he had gotten last time he met the lady puck. "How could she have gotten here to you?" he pushed Fer further out into the clearing away from the edge of the trees starting to build anger. Fer had bow drawn and ready to fight, "isn't there several hundred waterkin waiting out there for her?"

Fer eyes were closed, communicating with the land again,"they are by the way to the nathe and looking for the dune."

"She probably came through the birch ladies land, you and her where the last two healers the sand kin leader needs, Fer." Rook balled his fist, hoping that the kingdom opening wasn't as bad as it was starting to sound.

With his sharp sight he saw her. Creeping ten feet to the left, dark head low to the ground, ears perked in perfect triangles, each paw movement thought out and carefully placed, tail snapping to and fro, So close there was nothing to be done. Making eye contact she knew he had found her. Freeing a growl from deep inside her rib cage that lasted longer than most she stood tall in her cat form stalking out of the trees and into the clearing. Separate from the shadows of the trees it became easier to see the mass of her form, her head sat at Rooks elbow as she passed him heading directly to Fer. Rook reached out to fight her and the lady puck shifted, that he missed the mark.

"I did not expect you here, puck." Her eyes flickered to him for a moment but she stayed on course to Fer who had her arrow pointed into the dark haired women's direction, "I have business with you too, Robin" her voice raised to a shaking anger, "think you are smart? thossin my shifters out and lost the key to the lake of ways?!"

Rook stepped closer to try again but she spoke before he could cause her any trouble, "Summerland lady. I need something simple."

Rize landed close to the three, Scrap in claw."Dragon I am going to ask the healer to give a memory three times, if she doesn't say yes-crush the puck boy."

Fer lowered her bow,"You want a memory?"

"I want a memory from you to open the ways to the kingdom. Right now they all connect to each other. Each one opening to the next land. It takes a memory from each lands healer to tie those way to the kingdom." Isla spoke as if she offered free gold.

Fer pulled on the arrow notched in her bow, still pointed at the ground,"and the kingdom would have a backdoor to every land. So what? you will be in charge of that land? will you take the sand kin people there and they can come and go through all our lands? No."

Isla laughed, " you have no understand of the kingdom at all girl." She pointed her chin up higher,"The kingdom..." she tapped her hand on the side of her thigh thinking, "the kingdom is different than all the others lands, and the lands have gone without if for hundreds of years. It will bring peace."

"we have peace! Is peace stealing peoples memories?!"

Isla's flames in her eyes grew bright, "I am not stealing I am asking with persuasion." She purred the last few words of her lie, like the giant cat she was.

The dragon spoke out loud, his voice deep, resonated in the breezes passing by. "Give her the memory Gwenyfer."

"Why dragon?" Fer left the black haired lady, "this is, or could be an awful advantage."

"or a great benefit lady. I've been to the future with Sirus and Leop from the past. The kingdom was open and it was a blessing lady." The large black slitted eyes moved slowly over Fer to Isla, "I came many years in the future from this day today, so if Isla ever sits on the throne I don't know. that could mean harm, for awhile, but this will be a small price for the days I saw to come."

Fer eyed the dragon, chewing on her bottom lip disgruntled.

The dragon sighed a hot breathe,"Isla has been living to open the kingdom since the day she lost it. If you win today and even tomorrow, you will lose this fight the next. It is her reason to exist, to see her fathers land open again."

Fer said nothing but stocked back to Isla, "Fine, release Scrap and you can have a memory."

Isla smiled victoriously, " a fire Rize."

Rize kept Scrap prisoner but found a wide patch of dry grass that stood away from the other plants, breathing licks of quiet flames out from his nostrils, the grass burned quickly. Shifting the long black cat sauntered over to the flames. Black smoke transformed her back into a person who produced a slim metal rimed bottle from her pocket. Crouching she held the bottle into the flames until the lip shown a vibrant red. Fer moved slowly not wanting to do this. Rook was knelt next to Scrap in his confinement talking to the young puck. Next to Isla she watched her roll the bottle in her hand heating the bottle evenly.

Fer question the process,"how does this work, cursed bottle?"

"actually all the magic is in the metal rim, any bottle will do, really." Isla stood next to Fer. They were the same height, Isla's eyes burned with fire as the rest of the pucks did and had the same lopsided grin.

Isla moved to Fer's shoulder swiping back her hair away from her ear, "you are the last link lady. Might as well make this a strong one." Isla's eyes shifted around watching Fer and the land, "what memory do you want to give up lady Gwenyfer? A friend, a place, a single day, hmm?" Isla' s eyes still bounced thinking through what memory to ask for. Observing the trees to Rize, Scrap, and ..."how about Robin? I owe him some retribution anyway." Fer reacted quickly trying to push away, and run, Her thoughts spun, Rook?!

Isla's arm caught Fer's wrist and wrapped all the way around her waist holding her with one arm. Fer yelled out trying to get away from the puck lady but she had placed the lip of the bottle to the flat skin behind Fer ear pressing hard to keep the bottle in place as the girl squirmed. Isla's mouth stood a inch away from the butt of the container she whispered, "the memory of Robin."


	23. 23 Robin

"Let the puck boy go Rize." Isla was walking through the tall grass to the brothers and the dragon.

With relief the dragon released Scrap who climbed out of the dragons taloned claws into the grass copying Rooks defensive stance to the black haired lady.

Scrap hollered at Isla, "Where's ladyfer?"

Isla's smile was disarming. "She is fine," showing the bottle half full with a blue liquid, silver spun freely through it, "I didn't even need all the memory, so I spilled some of it off into the grass." she giggled meanly.

Coming to Rook she placed two fingers into shoulder and pushed. "serves you right puck. I guess we are even for the minute."

Rook didn't grasp how they were even, she hadn't done anything to him. Isla now stood in the middle of the burnt grass where the last flames where dying. Reaching into her coat she removed a deep red dagger. It was short but fat, the entire knife, hilt to point was made out of the same burgundy material. She flipped the weapon in her hand holding it as if to slice meat out of large game, but as she drug the dagger through the air a way appeared. She laughed again stepping through the pool and disappearing.

Scrap was gone, already loping off in the direction of Fer, the young puck had become fiercely loyal to her. Rook knew Tatter was okay and Fer would be too.

Sure as the sun, a half moon burn bled behind Fer's ear. She had woke but seemed dazed. Scrap leaned over her his long thin hair falling onto her arm and neck.

"Scrap, your tickle..." Fer pushed his hair over his shoulder.

The little puck grinned, "ha, she didn't forget me."

"It was probably nothing important Scrap. No one can figure out what Tatter lost this morning, so it must not be too drastic." Fer looked up at Rook standing there in the sunlight she squinted at him.

Rook spoke down to her, "do you want to go see Tatter? He's in your land somewhere." He offered a hand that Fer didn't take it, getting up herself. Saying nothing she held her head.

"No." she readjust her shirt and re-slung her bow onto her shoulder. "I'm sure I can make it back to Grand-Jane's." Looking up at the ember dragon she crossed the field and faded into the shadow of the trees.

"Well we need to find Tatter anyway to bring spring to the kingdom." Rook was tossing his shifter bone, content the fight was over and ready to move on with the plan.

The dragon spoke " are you not even interested puck, what was taken?"

"It will turn up, when she's crossing the damplands and cant remember rain or something stupid."

The dragon pushed Rook with the horn at the tip of his bright orange snout, speaking calmly in his head and out loud, "what ever was taken is laced along to grass." The dragons long neck stretched to the ground again a sliver of a forked tongue wrapped around the base of a thick flower covered in the blue ribbons. "Isla was aiming to take something about the pucks."

"you ate Fer's, memory dragon?" Rook watched.

"They are no longer hers' are they? If they lay here in the foliage?"

the grass was covered in sticky blue syrup. Isla had said she didn't need all the memory. Kneeling in an clover patch Rook Wiped the blue strands off a tall blade of grass it shimmered on his fingers, cleaning it off with his tongue a strong thought filled his head, but not from his own prospective. He could see himself, much younger, standing next to his brothers. Her thought was glad to see him. The thought drifted off unfinished, the rest of that memory scattered on the dirt. There was several blue string running across the leaf of a wild white flower. Running a finger through it he pinched the sticky memory between two fingers walking toward the ways.

This was three or four memories together. Rip stood in the nathe, Asher in one of the caves they would camp at, himself sunk in a corner of Jane's house in the human land- blood from wolf bites soaked through his shirt. They all appeared at once in his mind and Fer's voice covered all "Robin".

XXXXX

Asher hadn't taken it too bad especially happy the lady may have forgotten the pucks all together. Tatter had gone to look for Fer and hadn't found her.

"she forgot us?" Scrap was still concerned.

"she didn't forget anything Scrap. She remember you didn't she?"

"that isn't true she forgot something." Scrap laid out on his stomach, his head resting on his hands.

It wasn't until dusk she arrived where the pack still camped in her land.

Scrap bounded out wrapping her warmly around the waist, "Fer you forgot us!"

Looking tired she laughed at the puck wrapped around her waist head rested on her stomach. She ran her hand through his straight hair that ran past his shoulder blades. "I don't know what I forgot. but I don't think it was you."

The boy grinned, "ha! but what about my brothers?."

Several pucks circled around the fire, other pucks had joined their group at dusk this evening, reporting the nathe was becoming warmer but snow still stuck in the shadows. Roasting meat and a spirited game of first blood was getting much of the attention closer to the trees.

Fer looked over the black haired heads,"No, I remember all of them. Where is Rook?"Scrap pointed out to the fight persisting.

"NO," she let Scrap go who clung onto her arm and squeezed past many of the other pucks, "fighting in my land? Surely they could be more-" the thought was lost as the brawl came into view.

Standing close now it was easy to see one of the older pucks named Sal. Sal's face was tan but lined with wrinkles, his hair was peppered with gray and a fingers width short. He stood confidently, a wide grin that showed a missing tooth, the rest of his teeth had been in fairer condition. Wearing a blue shirt and ripped pants he ducked under an advance from Rook's thick forearm laughing.

"I haven't lost to you yet pup, it ain't happening tonight."

With a fast step back Rook moved out of reach from an upper cut meant to catch his shoulder. Padding right back into the fight, pushing with one hand wielding a short point of a stick with the other he motioned as if the cut the older pucks arm who retaliated by crushing Rook to the ground.

"There are rules Pucks! you are not suppose to be fighting in the summerlands!"

Both fighters momentarily distracted Sal ran his short stick across Rooks side drawing a line of red, Rook let out a hiss of defeat and disappointment, "...ah, Fer!."

Asher was standing closer to the front turned to Fer chuckling over the match, "Lady, that rule is years old."

Fer stood her ground, "exactly, old, stable, lasting."

the leader puck stood a hand-breath away, his flaming red eyes burning into her,"expired."

"if that rule is expired, so is your time in my land." Fer circled to walk away knowing she had won the disagreement.

A collective dismay waved over the group, a older puck by the fire protested,"noooo. there is still snow at the nathe."

Fer turned back to Asher,"has winter been staying in your land that long?"

He nodded, "yes"

She glared thinking, "fine, follow the rules and stay here then." several pucks let out howls of satisfaction which only meant there would be more of them here tomorrow. Fer sighed, pucks were so much trouble.

Watching the 15 black haired pucks mill around she looked for Rook again who had laid out on the ground, his head rested upon a log facing away from her. Setting into the grass beside him. He was obviously irritated with her,

"Cross, huh?" she tugged at the grass, pulling out the brown dry pieces.

" I was going to win tonight. You could have waited for another minute." He didn't look at her.

"Because why? we are friends so I should let you bend the rules?"

"yes" He still avoided her eyes.

"no" Fer spoke sternly.

Rook lightened,"It's just a game."

"you are all too old for this."

Facing away from her, he spoke louder than necessary,"Asher is ancient and he plays"

The leader bellowed from the other side of the burn pit, "I am not ancient!"

Rook closed his eyes opening them separately in sarcasm to Ash, seemly over his defeat he sat up,"So, if you don't want to go to the kingdom-"

"I didn't say I didn't want to go," Fer reached in her pocket and brought out her bit of shifter bone to fidget with, "I just am busy and don't want to be gone for long."

Rook grasped at her bone and took it from her, "why didn't you say that earlier?"

"we were interrupted" She leaned back watching him toss her bone and catch it.

oh yeah, Isla. "Okay, what is my name?"

She glared, "Rook."

"anything else?" She didn't answer.

"What about to people the pack doesn't trust?"

"I don't know what you are getting at."

"What does Fray call Rip?"

"I don't know, a rotten, ugly-"

"No- not that. It's because Isla took your memory of Robin. She must have been trying to take my memory from you, but she doesn't know my real name so you just lost that the pack uses the name Robin."

Rook looked over his shoulder to Scrap a fourth of the clearing away from him, "I told you it would be something stupid, Scrap."

Fer sounded concerned,"Is that bad?"

"No, just tell new people that the packs name is Robin."

she was confused, " the pack has a name?"

Irritation was growing again, "no, its a fake name everyone in the pack uses."

"do I use it?"

He grinned at her at her confusion now. "No." Shaking his head, they would have to work on this another day. "You do want to bring the spring to kingdom?" He tossed her shifter bone up in the air again and caught it. Fer reached for it but it was clamped tight in his hand.

Trying to pry his fingers away she grunted, "sure, I would be free tomorrow morning."

Three fingers wrenched away, Rook was loosing ground letting pressure off the bone it slid out the bottom of his fist into the other hand and popped it into his mouth smiling in a way that showed a great deal of his sharp teeth from the side.

"you are more trouble that you are worth sometimes." Fer leaned back to where she had been sitting knowing she wasn't getting the bone back unless she asked or risked getting bitten.

The comment stung Rook, "don't say that."

"maybe, I don't want my bone in your mouth." Fer came closer taking stock of the situation.

"three pieces say you don't mind," he sucked in his check so the raise rectangle of her bone showed under his skin of his mouth.

"No. Four pieces says I can get it back." She tore brown grass up from the land and tossed it at him.

"I'll take your four pieces. You'll never win a bet like that." the flame in his eyes danced over the game.

Fer reached out running fingers along his side, tickling the skin under his arms that his head tipped back and he snickered. He tried pushing her away, while also trying to cover his sides that she wouldn't tickle him, and to grab her wrists that she couldn't continue. "you've played first blood all your life and you have no idea how to win a tickle fight?" She smiled broadly, she couldn't imagine this group of boys fighting each other in this way ever. Rook twisted holding one of her arms away from his body leaving space for her to prod at him there, but he stifled the laughter and produced the bone from his mouth.

"Alright, alright, alright." He looked around breathing heavy, trying to see if they had caused any attention. Tatter had a smirk but it was hard to tell if that was over him or something else. "and you say, I'm more trouble than I'm worth."

Fer smiled, "you are, but your loyalty and entertainment value usually evens it out." He took four coins from his pocket and placed them in her hand, happy to know he may still be worth her time.

"AND..."she waited her hand held out.

with a discontent nose wrinkle he laid the shifter bone on top of the coins, "fine. happy?"

"What could you do with my shifter bone?" Fer stood dusting off her knees and shorts.

"bother you." He laid back again, arms underneath his head.

"you know in the human land, they call that flirting." She slung her bow over shoulder.

"bothering people is called flirting? I've been flirting with Fray most of my life, you have never said anything before."

Fer laughed, "No, bothering people in a way to get their attention."

"Like putting all of Slasher's clothes in Tatters drawers and Tatters clothes in Slasher's draws so that everyone watches. Slasher in a yellow wrap always gets everyone's attention."

Fer stared doubtfully at the puck laying at her feet,"Wow, no. Lets just drop the idea of flirting."How the lot of them lived together was beyond her.

He shrugged, "tomorrow?"

"yup see you tomorrow." 


	24. 24 A Moment

The sky was still dim in the camp. The only light coming from dark orange embers burning in the pit were the large fire had flickered high the night before. Rook itched at the prickly feeling irritating his chest. Waking more he slapped at it, trying to brush whatever had invaded his space now aware the prickle was climbing, reaching the base of his neck. Cracking one eye, he groped at the bug hoping it wasn't a wasp. finding the fat insect, half way to his ear, he pinched it's small wings and held it away from his face.

"hello." He whispered to the bee unclamping it and allowing it to walk along the back of his hand. The bee buzzed sleepily, "she woke you up too, huh?" Rook rolled back over into the long grass, drifting slowly to sleep. The fat bee wondered up his shoulder and into his hair. Finding an ear the bee backed into it testing its wings, and buzzing irritated that he hadn't been able to deliver his message. Rook shot up out of the grass rubbing the ear, the bee circling around his head. "ALRIGHT, bee. We are not friends any longer." The bee hummed a happy song, glad he was up and ready to listen. ""I will NOT be listening to you." he growled at the bee, trying to slap at it with one palm the other still covering his ear.

The bee didn't listen, it hummed it's tune, Fer was finishing sending food to the water kin and would be ready to leave soon. "fine, bee, you win this time..." he glared at the little insect, completely awake with no chance of sleeping again without his ears covered for days if not the rest of his life.

Moving away from camp, he left his pack behind him sleeping. He shifted into a dark horses and traveled the long path through the trees, coming up behind the lady tree. In front of the tree 10 to 15 summerland people where loading two wagons with crates of potatoes, fruit, nuts, breads, and eggs. Food for the water kin. There land had been dry since the foresworn. Fer directed the people, counted the crates and bowed to the lady of waterkin land, who bowed back. The wagon was pulled by two fish mounts, and lurched forward, heading back to their way.

Rook tromped out to her, purposefully brushing against Fray's chair where she observed. The guard if nothing else had loyalty to her duty. The chair flipped over dumping the wolf guard onto the ground, pinning her beneath her chair and against a tree. Fer turned momentarily to see the commotion, but took no special interest in him. he stopped beside her, she spoke to one of the badger men who eyes him warily. She brushed his neck with one hand and stroked his muzzle, the black hair from his mane blew gently over her face. The badger nodded, taking a last glance at the burning eyes and moved to the other summerland people that were wondering off, back to their homes, or chores to start the day.

Fer still didn't look at him, leaning her head against his neck, "you are such a bad horse. Fray hasn't done you any harm. Just revenge for your brother?" She thought he was phouka.

He shifted standing a hands breath from her, She blushed and snorted, "your not my horse!"

"NO. I'm not anybody's horse! Carrying lazy bodies from one place-" She pushed him away from her, he continued to talk, "Why would you think I was Phouka?!" His eyes where yellow while his brother's were burning red, his muzzle was no were near as long, and Phouka might be gaining a good amount of weight in his life as a stable horse.

Twig came and gave her a message on a paper that Fer signed and passes back. She stomped over to the lady tree and ascended the ladder, "it's dark Rook, I sent my bee out to you awhile ago, and forgot you where coming. Besides Phouka is here every day, my mind just connected- an angry, trouble causing, nuisance of a black horse to Phouka!" Fer pulled the fabric from her tree house and disappeared inside.

She returned to the balcony retreating down the ladder, her bow and quiver over her shoulder now. "Okay. I'm sorry. I should have been paying attention." She looped the quiver across her body, "I'm just thankful it was you and not Slasher or Rip."

Taking the apology, he nodded, grinning, "well fine, I'll forgive you that you think my ears are flat, but it will take awhile to understand how you think my muzzle is that long."

She huffed, stopping in front of Grand-Jane's house, "I didn't even look at you really! It was an honest mistake!" Her eyes were wide with exasperation, that he hadn't dropped this already. He stuck his hands into his pockets following closely up the walk to the front steps, only to have the door slammed in his face.

That was fine. Fer could be mad and it was probable that wouldn't last for long. They were still headed to the kingdom, and he may have already gotten into more trouble then he could chew with his brothers so it was better they be a little at odds. it would be easier to talk his way out of trouble with Asher if she didn't even like him right now.

The sky had brightened in the west, not dawn but it would be coming soon. The pucks had reveled long into the night and Rook hoped the others would sleep far into the morning because of it, but the sooner he got Fer and himself out of here the better.

The door creaked and Jane stood there her hair wrapped in many pink cylindrical tubes and a floral patterned gown that reached her ankles, He gawked at her with one eyebrow raised. "Puck, I don't need any comment from you! I'm sure I don't even want to know what you sleep in." She held out his clothes he had soaked in her tub the other day, now clean and dry.

Taking the clothes he pulled the gray shirt over his head, "I wear what I wear all the time, Jane." Why Fer and her wore different clothes to bed was beyond him.

Fer came out shoulder a leather bag, one of his from ages ago. "alright, I will see you later." She hugged the old lady.

Still held onto Fer's shoulders Jane glared, "I've heard that before."

"I did not cause the trouble last time!" He said it to the sky. Really Fer had, he had just followed-happily, but that wasn't important.

"I don't care who's fault it is but, Fer you had better be back THIS evening." now she was looking at him again. "get it? this evening not tomorrow evening, not some evening. Twelve hours from now."

Rook nodded. Jane and Fer had no lack of fire in their spirits this morning. Fer passed him, her bright new jacket scent thick around her. He followed listening to the morning sounds as they walked, of all things out to the dragon. She was probably almost over her anger now, "so Fer-" She looked back to him, her eyes thinking and her lips relaxed, eyebrows still knotted at the very ends but not as much as they had been. "Can't we run? please tell me you have your bone."

She padded her pocket, "I have it. But its hard to feel the land and be a horse." She shrugged the bag higher up her shoulder. "I'm just not use to it and if we are leaving for the morning I want to double check everyone is fine."

Rook stepped faster joining her at her side, taking the bag off her shoulder and slinging it over his own, "fine, just as soon as we are out of your land I am not walking any more."

"You need me to go help you, you aren't walking after this, and you expect me to follow to some strange new way?" She climbed over a low fence, "you are very needy for the sun not even being up."

He looked away hearing something, "and I also need you to deal with all sarcasm in a better attitude from here on out."

the sound of hooves beats came up in-front of them, quietly at first. From a dark rolling hill, four black horses road gracefully over the peak and down to them with furious speed. It was no use running as the horses galloped across the field, they were already in his brothers sight. Asher shifted first, only two steps away from the pair reaching out and grabbing Rook by the hair and pulling him closer.

"You don't listen puck." Pushing him into the dirt Rip shifted and stood for a moment then blurring into black rolls of smoke then into a sleek dog who growled as he neared Rook.

"What are you doing Asher?" Fer stood beside the leader unafraid, not looking away from Rook.

"This is my pack and you do not have anything to do with it!" Fer felt the anger in her burn. This maybe his adopted family, but had they not left Rook here in the summerlands with the Mor for a decade? Had they ordered him to steal the summerland crown from her? They never seemed to have his best interest at heart. She had watch them pick on him before but she had no intention of letting them beat him in her own land in front of her.

Rip stood on his chest, growling a fear giving rumble with front two paws on each of Rook's shoulders, Rook's neck in his mouth. "Lady, I gave those shifters to you, I want them back." Asher stated darkly.

"No, Asher!" Rook scrapped, out.

"I told you last night, if you didn't go your own course and leave the summerland lady alone, I would take her bone and tooth. Now, here we are and who is with you?" Rook squirmed under Rip, Asher stretched out a leg and put a foot on his arm to keep him still.

Fer knew nothing of this,"Why do you want them back? Am I not part of the pack any more?"

Asher didn't look to her, his eyes still locked on Rook. He ran his tongue over his teeth before he spoke, "This is traveling a course that can not end well, you both have to follow the rules of the lands or there will be a price to pay." Rize fluttered down into the field where they fought. "you've been tied for along time, we have all seen it and it has too end."

Understanding came to Fer. Asher was afraid of Rook not being a land puck. Loosing his wild, letting his heart be tied to someone else. It was no secret Rook had enjoyed the heart thread between them and that had upset his pack, they had been along time without that and now they feared again for something else.

"NO!" The ground shook and Fer stomped her foot, causing the earth to crack beneath the leaders feet, at first that was all and then a mass of dirt on either side of the crack grew like giant jaws out of the ground to encase Asher in a dirt mound up to his black braid laid out down his back. "Rip, do you want a dirt trap too?" The black dog let go making little red spots of blood visible on Rooks neck and moved away, back towards Scrap who was pressing his face into Tatters leg while covering his ears trying not to watch his brothers fight.

Rook knew, Asher was really trying to do the best in the way he always did. Rook rubbed at his neck, red smudges coming off on his fingers, and spoke quiet and rough, "Asher, I give you my word, I will not be bound against your advice."

"No, pup." His red eyes burned, "give a thrice worn oath for it."

Breathing out a breathe of frustration Rook spoke bitterly," I will not be bound against your advice, once, twice, three times I swear it."

The oath stretched between Rook and Asher. "Don't go against it, Rook." Fer let the dirt mound start to fall apart.

"We have to go to the kingdom to bring spring." Rook spoke to the ground in a gravely defeated voice. His black hair covered his eyes, but sharp white teeth where bared.

Rip pulled Scrap from Tatter and pushed him toward Fer. "Send Scrap. He cant keep a secret or tell a lie."

Scrap smiled weakly, "I want to go!"

Asher rumbled, clearly happy with the outcome, " Fine, Scrap you tell me everything when you get back." The dragon began to pull its wings high, preparing. Fer hung onto one claw while Rook held out his hand to young scrap trying to scramble up on the other. With Scrap held tightly the dragon leaped into the sky. Scrap wrapped tightly to his brother.

"No, scrap, look out." The dark sky with softly glowing lands passing by, some big enough to see structures, others just balls of reflected lights.

"Rook! The nathe!" It was fascinating to see it so distant. The ancient lake of ways reflected the dragon as it passed.

"It is beautiful Scrap," ache in his heart still seeped through his voice. The dragon wings beat, creating a peaceful rhythm in the great space. Crossing the ways as horses was about rush and getting there without falling off. Flying between lands was freedom.

Scrap leaned out to see the dragons wings flap above. Rook held onto his brothers shoulder and thought. How was being bound to Asher, an alright outcome? Like crossing the ways, he had freedom but now Asher would choose what decisions he could make, if he could ever give an oath to anything. Scrap pulled free leaning further. Rook sat defeated, It didn't matter. he never wanted to be bound to anything ever again especially Asher, nothing good ever came from being bound.


	25. 25 Spring

Rize settled down into the brown dry grass close to the tree line. Rook slid down from the dragons claws, reaching out to steady Scrap as scooted off from Rize's long talon. Fer came to the edge of the red wrinkled scales and jumped with no trouble.

Wondering out into the field, Fer held the green leaf from the leaf women between two fingers twirling itw. "Wow, this is dead." She knelt in the parched soil by a palm sized stone sat haphazardly in the ground, "everybody ready?" Fer sat the leaf gently on the rocks rough white surface. The power from the leaf lady invited the land out of its sleep and into spring.

Instantly the dry grass breathed away from the ground becoming green and supple. Heads of wild purple and white flowers peppered through the tall pasture, shadow grew over the soft grass while the leaves on the trees filled the bare branches. Rustling filled the empty air from the revived foliage moved by the gentle breeze.

Scrap skipped a wide circle trying to watch all of the transformation at once. "Have you ever seen spring like this brother?"

"Yeah." Rock growled, it wasn't a great memory. the Mor had had to bring spring like this, and when she had been destroyed the leaf lady brought the late spring out into the lands in a sweep of change.

This transformation continued on to the very edge of the land, further than he could see. Trees became visible over the edge of the horizon as dark green leafs filled out into the light colored branched making the trees more noticeable against the light blue sky. Rook started to venture toward the building built back into the trees, now looking at it from this angle he could see pillars of white stone like those by the lake of time, before an entrance with several larger arched doorways. Most of the details where covered by high weeds surrounding it.

A pain started to fill deep inside of his ears, Ignoring it, something that was likely to go away he waved back at Fer and scrap, "I want to go look!" noticing Scraps uncomfortable look while pulling at one ear. Hmm, it wasn't a pain it was something he was hearing, cause Scrap herd it too.

"Scrap, doing alright?"

"my ears hurt."

"mine too." Rook wondered back toward his younger brother, with every step the pain got worse until it became a high pitched ring, tipping his head to one side and rubbing his ear against his shoulder. Trying to comfort the pain, he listen.

"Rize! What is that?!"

"I cannot hear it, I've been told it is very unpleasant. The lake of time has been shut and it is calling out to the guard, it want to be opened."

"we brought spring, what else does it need?!"Rook stated irritatedly.

Rize answered. "I think it may stop if you go and stand up on the platform."

Fer interjected, "I don't hear it, I will go."

Fer jogged the short distance to the 40 stairs leaping up the steps two at a time she past through the still dried up ways, to arrived at the lake of time.

"did it stop?"

"No."Rook was dragging Scrap who had both his hands pressed tightly against his ears out further away, where the sound would not be so troublesome.

"Puck, you try. Fer was not born a puck, and the Guard where all true pucks." Rook was only partially listening because of the cursed ringing. Shifting into his horse form the ringing didn't cut through his thoughts as it did in his person form, and he was sure he would have laid out on the ground howling as a dog from this wretched racket.

The stairs were too small for hooves but on either side were wide slanted ballisters that he easily trotted up to the platform. Shifting back the sound renewed its strength as he stood at the ledge with his ears covered, bearing teeth, heading to the lake of time in the center. He stood next to Fer and looked into the water to the bottom of the shallow pound. dirty blue and white tiles covered the bottom with a short stick and a handful of leaves, the ringing was mind splitting.

Rook called out to Rize much too loud to try to lift his voice over the sound coming from the lake even though Rize and Fer couldn't hear it, "RIZE! IT IS STILL RINING!"

"Use the lady pucks gem, Puck!" He didn't hear the dragon.

Fer had been studying the pool of water. On the stone rim of the pond were strange indentations. It seemed like something should fit. She watch Rook shaking his head to push away the noise.

Fer repeated the dragons request, "Do you have the lady puck's gem?" Fer spoke loudly right in front of his face. Maybe if he couldn't hear her he could still see what she was saying.

Rook growled, an shaking his head, not hearing.

"What is it Rize?" Fer asked.

"A coin sized yellow gem, lady"

She pulled at the bag on his back and looked in. dried carrots, fruit, bread, and cheese, the shorts Grand-Jane had returned. Putting her hand in his left hip pocket came out a collection. Two coins, a flat rock, string, and sharp bone. Fer slide the trinkets back into the pocket. In the right pocket were his shifters and the yellow jewel. Pulling the hand off his ear, she put the gem into his wide palm then pointed at the rim of the pool. Understand he knelt and matched the yellow gem into a round indentation. The pool gave off light, then the surface changed to be like a mirror and reflect the sky above. The noise subsided.

Rook gave a relieved sigh standing, then spun to look out over the green land, calling to Scrap, "Alright Pup?" His voice echoed. "Yes." Scrap said grumpily shifting and trotting to them.

Rize also drifted to the way, his great mass barely fitting on the half circle platform. "Alright," the dragon's deep voice boomed," Puck has to give something."

"What does that mean Rize?" Fer looked up as she spoke to the dragon.

"It means the puck has to give something up that is equal to how much you want the four of us to go through the way."

Rook crossed his arms in defiance,"Me, why me? You dragon are the one that wants through the way. And what would I forfeit?"

"It wont work if I do it puck. How much do you want to go through this way?" Rook contemplated the question. He was curious, but it didn't matter as long as they were away from his brothers.

the dragon listened to his thoughts as Rook answered," I don't know," gruftly.

A puff of smoke came out of the ember dragons nostrils, "Well you don't seem to care if we go or not, so it will be a small sacrifice. I think blood."

"Blood?"

"Yes, blood. Hurry up puck. I am anxious to enter."

Pacing back towards Fer he drew the arrow from her quiver. With it laid across the top of the outside skin of his left calf, he cut a long slit that welled with blood promptly. Hoisting the red headed arrow above his head to show the dragon, who tipped its long snouted head towards the shimmery pool of water, motioning for Rook to toss it in. The arrow disappeared under the reflective surface of the way. The dragon spoke thunderous out loud and in Rooks head, " Two years before the foresworn of the kingdom."

With a flash the pond became brighter momentarily and the reflection changed from a cloudy mild blue sky to a different sky. Now reflected was a cloudless sky of bright blue. Giant talons tapped along on the stone surface the stand alone platform shook slightly while the dragon leaped over and disappeared into the pond. Scrap stopped before the edge of the pool. Putting a hand into Scraps shirtless back Rook pushed the little puck into the water.

"Coming?" Rook edged closer but Fer stayed put.

She sighed, "we are not coming back right away are we?"

"I think we have to come back today, and its a way in time, we leave this moment and come back the next."

Fer stepped closer hesitantly, "I have things to do you know."

Quietly he watched her, "I will stay true, Fer" She smiled and caught his fingers lightly. Stepping backwards he pulled her into the shimmery reflection on top of the lake of time.


	26. 26 I'm Sorry

I'm sorry. I started this fan fiction and am using this section in my own writing 'Finding the King'. But, the last of the story is done so this is a synopsis of what should have happened in the middle of this story. But don't dismay too much, the story continues after this and still holds together pretty well. I just don't want to spend another twenty hours writing the following:

The point of the first part of the book is Rook has started to understand he doesn't fit in exactly. He leaves for two years wondering looking for where to fit and doesn't find it.

When Fer, Rook, and Scrap cross over into the Kingdom in the past through the way of time they find a new land. A land of pucks with purpose, using their energy to help others. The lord of the land is Rooks father Sirus and his mother Zay finding out the lady puck Isla is actually is sister.

The way of time is only open for the first day of spring and since they don't return to the way that same day, the three are locked in this time for one year. In this time Fer meets her mother, which we don't know much about. To fill in gaps I write her as a waterlanter, it's sort of a glow in the dark mermaid. Rook has the option to meet with his family but keeps them at a distance. Rook, Fer, and Scrap are each placed with a group of 'guards' to be used in the others lands.

This leads on to Rook finding that he fits here well. The guard fight, and sneak, and steal for the better of others. It feels like what he has been looking for, but Sirus knows his land will be foresworn, by the human in their time. They have made attempts to stop it but nothing helps. In two years time, the kingdom will die.

Rook also struggles that he is bound by Asher not to be bound. As he is stuck beside Fer for this time the thoughts of what he is as a puck get looked at. Is he wild if he chooses to go along with the others, is he free if he is bound? Fer is wild and isn't wreckless, she helps others but makes her own decisions, she has given her own oath to the summerland. Slowly deciding that maybe he can be different than the pucks at home and still be a puck.

At the very last day of their time in the kingdom rebels come and capture part of Rooks pack. They are looking for passage through the way of time, to do that they need a key, and a heart of Sirus or a heir to the kingdom land. Titus being true to the kingdom won't talk and is killed. At this Fer, Rook, and Scrap venture home to their own time.

Rook undecided of what to do with the sister planing to bring the kingdom to their own time, he feels at home in the kingdom but it will not be the same without the people. This one most likely being ruled by his sister that he has not gotten along with, Rook makes it his business to find out her plans and either destroy the new kingdom or bring it into existence.

Following this overview I will publish Zay(middle), Saddled(middle), Dashing(middle), Muddy (middle),Daggers(middle) they are chapters that were most finished inside of this idea of Rook and Fer's time in the past. If you don't want to read any disconnected ideas from the middle, please continue onto the end of this fan fiction with the chapter Return. From there the book is finished (and is the best part of the story anyway) . This year section of the middle in the past is all that is missing, because I want to hijack those idea for a different book. I know that is frustrating, but this is just a hobby. :)


	27. 27 Zay (middle)

Thirty five chair sat between the door and the head of the table. The tall puck that had let Rook, Fer, and Scrap in cleared his throat and stood momentarily. One of the pucks that had brought the three in from atop the dens turned to acknowledge, nodding at the guard with them who reopened the door they had came through and left. Now at head of the table everyone was sending curious looks as they gather their items and left.

The leader was still talking to the first guard they had met in whispers.

"-No, don't let Zay hear."

"Sirus, she has already heard!"

"Let her wait. Everything may not be well." then both the pucks dressed In the same gray coat looked down at their group.

"As you want." He moved out through a side door as the others had done.

Seconds drug while the leader looked down the length of the table sizing Rook. He had heard the others call him Sirus. Easing out of the wide wooden throne he rounded the table slowly to him.

"I have been through the lake of time, Palio. I know you don't know me, and I know the kingdom has very little time left."

Up close, Sirus was a very large man. Wide in the shoulders, broad in the forearms. He stood just over Rook and he hair hung past his shoulder blades like Scraps but thick with many beaded braids. He circled Rook ignoring the other two. Scrap had hung one of his fingers through Fer's belt loops standing connected to her.

Bringing a tan callused hand he grasped Rooks shoulder who shrugged him off.

"I don't know you," Rook shoulder squared up and his stance became defensive, "and I don't understand Palio at all. Rize, Isla, the guard they understand but I don't"

Sirus lighted, "You've seen your sister, Isla?!"

"I don't have any sisters."

"Yes, you have one." Sirus offered a seat at the table which Rook didn't take, but the leader reached out the Fer grasping her hand that wasn't resting in Scraps hair pulling her to the table the young puck close behind.

"Thank you." Fer spoke quietly, Sirus pushed her in and moved Scraps chair closer to her watching the small puck lean half way out of the seat to stay close to his friend.

"You don't understand because you will be young when you are lost. I can't change it, I've tried. Leop and I take the way every spring to try to stop the kingdom from being forsworn, and to keep you from following the human. We had been out yesterday when you arrived..." Sirus picked on loose skin on his thumb with his teeth thinking.

"You, puck are my son. You are not a land puck you are a kingdom guard. The kingdom will be foresworn in two years, and you will be lost and everyone else," he huffed and turned on his boots back to the middle of the table, his voice echoing in the rectangular stone room, "they will perish. Leop, Titus, and I are the only ones that know this. It doesn't do well for moral for everyone to know. You of course know this because their is no kingdom in your time." Dragging a small brown box off the middle of the table wrapped in iron ribs, he returned the chest dusty, its clasped creaked, inside was one blue and one green gem.

"How did you get here? it takes a forfeit from a kingdom heir and a key." Rook pulled the yellow gem from him pocket and held it out.

Grinnning the leader took it, "This isn't yours is it?"

"No, I took it from that dreadful CAT."

The Grin only got bigger, " Your sister and you have never been great friends. but she is brilliant in healing and discoveries of ways. You, you wonder with no concern for self preservance, and that bothers her wisdom, while her wisdom bothers your freedom."

Rook glared at Fer who let out a snicker, knowing he was a wanderer and probably that he shunned away from wisdom much of the time. "I don't want this."

Sirus answered, "you don't want what, to be a guard?" No, it wasn't that. It was that this dissolved all the theories of where he had came from, maybe that he had been born to a family that couldn't keep him, maybe that he had always been alone in the wild. Not that he came from a land in the past, to something completely foreign.

Rook paced now, "We are 300 years in the past." how could be from 300 years ago?! It was within a puck lifespan but he had definitely not lived that long.

Sirus sat on the edge of the table watching, "you are here in this time now, Palio. In two years the human lord will forswear himself against...Zay, your mother. To escape he stills Zay's key to the lake of time and crosses, upset you follow but go through to a different time. I try to get you back, I followed the human behind you, but you won't be there. Trying to get back into the kingdom Isla will lock all the ways to stop the spread of the curse. I'm locked out, you are in a different time that I don't know and can't get to with the lake of ways inside the sealed kingdom, and everyone dies in the kingdom facing the forsworn by themselves."

Rook softened standing. This couldn't be true. He looked over the giant man in front of him. "You will be Asher's pack leader?"

"Yes, until I die in the land away from the guard, all of it will happen soon." For a moment the information sinks in, "you are welcome to venture, I know it is your spirit." he nudged Rooks with his elbow, "Titus is to guide you through into a pack." Sirus drew a book from his pocket making notes.

"The sooner you get out of here the better, your mother-" the door clicked, swinging open but no one came in.

Sirus spoke,"curse it," tossing the book onto the table and taking a chair. From the opposite edge of the table a sleek black cat strode around the last chair.

circling Rook tightly that it rubbed against his knee and thigh, "Why do you cursed cats always have to circle?"

The cat formed into a black smoke that wrapped around Rook into a lady her head laid on his cheek as she embraced him that his arms where locked to his body.

"PALIO!" She let go circling again, dragging a hand through his hair that Rook grabbed trying to persuade the women away, "so dashing in a rugged way, she felt down his sides of his shirt while he backed up toward the wall away from you. "Titus said you are awfully scared, show me, "she started to unbutton the shirt from the collar. Rook pushed her away anger, "No, don't touch." Why where some ladies so touchy.

Now Sirus interrupted, "Who told you Zay?"

"Titus, of course. I offered him a stint in the stable if he didn't." The lady was tall and fit. Her hair was black with gray throughout and touched Sirus tenderly even thought it sounded like they were not getting along.

"Why would you keep him from me? She hugged Rook again tightly, while he glared. She caught the look, "Don't look at me that way Palio, tell me what is wrong." She beamed the same way that Fer did every time he came unexpectedly.

"I don't know you lady."

"You don't know me? of course you know me, how does a person forget their own mother?!"

"Zay, its alright." Sirus reached out a grabbed his mates arm, "Something in the future has happened. He is here for a year, these things will come back." Tears welled in her eyes, the shock of him not knowing her catching her off guard. She reached out and clasped Rooks face in her hands, kissing him on the forehead, "I am glad you are here, my son."

She left out the door behind them now, closing it without a sound. Sirus let out a stream of a sigh through he nose sitting looking at Fer and Scrap and back at Rook who answered, "a piece of Asher's pack."

"Hmm." Sirus reached out to the hand sized book sliding it back in his pocket. Leaning back in the chair he called to the close door at the opposite end of the room, "Titus!"

The door opened and several pucks stood there obviously eavesdropping, the one that had spoke at the meeting on the steps to the building during the bonfire the night before hurried out shutting the door quickly to hide the others. He said nothing but stood, there. "take my son and his pack to be fit with the guard."

"of course Sirus."

"and then report to the stable."

Titus tossed his hands up in desperation, "I should have know I would get stuck in the stable either way! I don't want to know secrets, Sirus. Zay always wants to punish me for knowing them and then you always want to do me in for giving them to her."

"You should have just let her put you in the stable and keep the secret."

"fine, but you will have me out later his afternoon, Zay," he let out a exasperated sound, "Three months from now I would have still been in the stable!"

"yes, you are probably right. But you are going to learn discipline, Titus." He smiled mischievously at Titus, "When you are done this afternoon come to me again and I will tell you something else."

"Oooh, Sirus, No!"

"how will you face the kingdom rebels if you can keep secrets from my Zay, Titus?"

Titus stood next to Rook now looking him over, "I think I would rather face the rebels..."


	28. 28 Saddled (middle)

Thirty five chair sat between the door and the head of the table. The tall puck that had let Rook, Fer, and Scrap in cleared his throat and stood momentarily. One of the pucks that had brought the three in from atop the dens turned to acknowledge, nodding at the guard with them who reopened the door they had came through and left. Now at head of the table everyone was sending curious looks as they gather their items and left.

The leader was still talking to the first guard they had met in whispers.

"-No, don't let Zay hear."

"Sirus, she has already heard!"

"Let her wait. Everything may not be well." then both the pucks dressed In the same gray coat looked down at their group.

"As you want." He moved out through a side door as the others had done.

Seconds drug while the leader looked down the length of the table sizing Rook. He had heard the others call him Sirus. Easing out of the wide wooden throne he rounded the table slowly to him.

"I have been through the lake of time, Palio. I know you don't know me, and I know the kingdom has very little time left."

Up close, Sirus was a very large man. Wide in the shoulders, broad in the forearms. He stood just over Rook and he hair hung past his shoulder blades like Scraps but thick with many beaded braids. He circled Rook ignoring the other two. Scrap had hung one of his fingers through Fer's belt loops standing connected to her.

Bringing a tan callused hand he grasped Rooks shoulder who shrugged him off.

"I don't know you," Rook shoulder squared up and his stance became defensive, "and I don't understand Palio at all. Rize, Isla, the guard they understand but I don't"

Sirus lighted, "You've seen your sister, Isla?!"

"I don't have any sisters."

"Yes, you have one." Sirus offered a seat at the table which Rook didn't take, but the leader reached out the Fer grasping her hand that wasn't resting in Scraps hair pulling her to the table the young puck close behind.

"Thank you." Fer spoke quietly, Sirus pushed her in and moved Scraps chair closer to her watching the small puck lean half way out of the seat to stay close to his friend.

"You don't understand because you will be young when you are lost. I can't change it, I've tried. Leop and I take the way every spring to try to stop the kingdom from being forsworn, and to keep you from following the human. We had been out yesterday when you arrived..." Sirus picked on loose skin on his thumb with his teeth thinking.

"You, puck are my son. You are not a land puck you are a kingdom guard. The kingdom will be foresworn in two years, and you will be lost and everyone else," he huffed and turned on his boots back to the middle of the table, his voice echoing in the rectangular stone room, "they will perish. Leop, Titus, and I are the only ones that know this. It doesn't do well for moral for everyone to know. You of course know this because their is no kingdom in your time." Dragging a small brown box off the middle of the table wrapped in iron ribs, he returned the chest dusty, its clasped creaked, inside was one blue and one green gem.

"How did you get here? it takes a forfeit from a kingdom heir and a key." Rook pulled the yellow gem from him pocket and held it out.

Grinnning the leader took it, "This isn't yours is it?"

"No, I took it from that dreadful CAT."

The Grin only got bigger, " Your sister and you have never been great friends. but she is brilliant in healing and discoveries of ways. You, you wonder with no concern for self preservance, and that bothers her wisdom, while her wisdom bothers your freedom."

Rook glared at Fer who let out a snicker, knowing he was a wanderer and probably that he shunned away from wisdom much of the time. "I don't want this."

Sirus answered, "you don't want what, to be a guard?" No, it wasn't that. It was that this dissolved all the theories of where he had came from, maybe that he had been born to a family that couldn't keep him, maybe that he had always been alone in the wild. Not that he came from a land in the past, to something completely foreign.

Rook paced now, "We are 300 years in the past." how could be from 300 years ago?! It was within a puck lifespan but he had definitely not lived that long.

Sirus sat on the edge of the table watching, "you are here in this time now, Palio. In two years the human lord will forswear himself against...Zay, your mother. To escape he stills Zay's key to the lake of time and crosses, upset you follow but go through to a different time. I try to get you back, I followed the human behind you, but you won't be there. Trying to get back into the kingdom Isla will lock all the ways to stop the spread of the curse. I'm locked out, you are in a different time that I don't know and can't get to with the lake of ways inside the sealed kingdom, and everyone dies in the kingdom facing the forsworn by themselves."

Rook softened standing. This couldn't be true. He looked over the giant man in front of him. "You will be Asher's pack leader?"

"Yes, until I die in the land away from the guard, all of it will happen soon." For a moment the information sinks in, "you are welcome to venture, I know it is your spirit." he nudged Rooks with his elbow, "Titus is to guide you through into a pack." Sirus drew a book from his pocket making notes.

"The sooner you get out of here the better, your mother-" the door clicked, swinging open but no one came in.

Sirus spoke,"curse it," tossing the book onto the table and taking a chair. From the opposite edge of the table a sleek black cat strode around the last chair.

circling Rook tightly that it rubbed against his knee and thigh, "Why do you cursed cats always have to circle?"

The cat formed into a black smoke that wrapped around Rook into a lady her head laid on his cheek as she embraced him that his arms where locked to his body.

"PALIO!" She let go circling again, dragging a hand through his hair that Rook grabbed trying to persuade the women away, "so dashing in a rugged way, she felt down his sides of his shirt while he backed up toward the wall away from you. "Titus said you are awfully scared, show me, "she started to unbutton the shirt from the collar. Rook pushed her away anger, "No, don't touch." Why where some ladies so touchy.

Now Sirus interrupted, "Who told you Zay?"

"Titus, of course. I offered him a stint in the stable if he didn't." The lady was tall and fit. Her hair was black with gray throughout and touched Sirus tenderly even thought it sounded like they were not getting along.

"Why would you keep him from me? She hugged Rook again tightly, while he glared. She caught the look, "Don't look at me that way Palio, tell me what is wrong." She beamed the same way that Fer did every time he came unexpectedly.

"I don't know you lady."

"You don't know me? of course you know me, how does a person forget their own mother?!"

"Zay, its alright." Sirus reached out a grabbed his mates arm, "Something in the future has happened. He is here for a year, these things will come back." Tears welled in her eyes, the shock of him not knowing her catching her off guard. She reached out and clasped Rooks face in her hands, kissing him on the forehead, "I am glad you are here, my son."

She left out the door behind them now, closing it without a sound. Sirus let out a stream of a sigh through he nose sitting looking at Fer and Scrap and back at Rook who answered, "a piece of Asher's pack."

"Hmm." Sirus reached out to the hand sized book sliding it back in his pocket. Leaning back in the chair he called to the close door at the opposite end of the room, "Titus!"

The door opened and several pucks stood there obviously eavesdropping, the one that had spoke at the meeting on the steps to the building during the bonfire the night before hurried out shutting the door quickly to hide the others. He said nothing but stood, there. "take my son and his pack to be fit with the guard."

"of course Sirus."

"and then report to the stable."

Titus tossed his hands up in desperation, "I should have know I would get stuck in the stable either way! I don't want to know secrets, Sirus. Zay always wants to punish me for knowing them and then you always want to do me in for giving them to her."

"You should have just let her put you in the stable and keep the secret."

"fine, but you will have me out later his afternoon, Zay," he let out a exasperated sound, "Three months from now I would have still been in the stable!"

"yes, you are probably right. But you are going to learn discipline, Titus." He smiled mischievously at Titus, "When you are done this afternoon come to me again and I will tell you something else."

"Oooh, Sirus, No!"

"how will you face the kingdom rebels if you can keep secrets from my Zay, Titus?"

Titus stood next to Rook now looking him over, "I think I would rather face the rebels..."


	29. 29 Muddy (middle)

Another morning up before dawn. Rook yawned standing beside Leop and Scrap, another guard on his other side, wide with long hair down his back. several braids adorn it with beads ending the weaves. They stood in a line of two hundred others.

Another line collected a step down in front of them. A tall man in front of Leop, a sword hanging from his jacket bottom. Rook stood behind a short women with a healers bag slung over her shoulder, her ears pointed from some mixed heritage of puck and another creature. In front of Scrap was a women with black short hair, a bow in her hand. Paying little attention to those in front of them he looked back up to where Sirus was preparing to speak, Titus making gestures, telling the leader something who laughed and handed off several envelopes before Titus came to join the others.

Glancing to where Titus had stopped Rook caught the lady in front of Scrap in his truth vision, showing an image of something wild and unbound, an image he knew. Reaching out he grasped the ladies hair dragging the strands through his fingers mud oozing into his hand showing the true blond color underneath, now noting that the mud coated the back of the gray of her coat and sleeves, the only thing clean was the bow she held in front of her.

"Sooo..." He ran a tongue over his teeth trying to imagine how this could happen, "you know there are better ways to hide your hair."

Fer kicked a rock in front of her, a temper flairing, "I suppose you'd be the one to know." he had to hide in most lands back home if he wanted to sneak anywhere.

"What happened? or I'm going to itch all day wondering." Scrap now started to poke at Fer with his guard boot.

"I'm apparently a flamboyant show-off, and that is worth a wrestle through the mud." Fer brushed thick wet ooze from her arm.

Now Leop spoke, "it's sounds like jealously. I'm sure your standing in my camp is ruffling feathers, your coloring is only going to fuel it, and knowing Sirus' son is going to top it off. " She was getting lots of attention as a strawberry blond puck and though no one had said it yet their where lots of stares pointed at Rook.

"we were digging adaya plants, and the other healers where cutting the roots off. Tatter has always said the roots are stronger than the greens, and I've found it to be true. So I was explaining about how to tend for the roots, got called a show off and pushed in the mud." Looking up and down the line Rook could see two or three others with mud splatters, none as extensive as Fer's.

"Then she shoved a fistful of mud in my patch jacket pocket and everything went down hill from there..." There was another lady three fourths the way down that had mud up to her shoulders.

"Have some fight in you, huh?" Leop prodded, Fer didn't answer.

Rook leaned against Scrap trying to see the other mud covered female healer, "you should meet the grandmother, you'll understand where the fire comes from after that." The healer turned showing a purpling ring around her eye,"So, you say it went down hill fast?"

"I pushed against her, and then we fought for a moment. I lashed out, it didn't last very long." She turned showing a cracked lip.

Rook held back a laugh, "lashed out, as in your punched her?!" Leop gazed down to where Rook was watching, he pointed to the other healer still talking to someone behind her, making her eye visible to them.

"Rook! It is my patch jacket! New patch jacket! Who does that?!" Fer fumed, "I was only trying to help them with their herbs!"

Rook grinned and listened to Leop scold her, "I understand that this was not a fair situation, but you are still responsible for your own actions. It's not alright to fight among guard." He gestured off in the direction of the main guard station. " Clean up and be back with in a half hour, now."


	30. 30 Dashing (middle)

Guard pucks crowded the foyer. It was a feeling he wasn't use to. Usually everyone gave Rook space, it wasn't good to ruffle a puck. Here, what he was mattered to no one. Well except that he was the kings son. That mattered to everyone, but his black hair and yellow eyes, were more common than grass.

Squeezing through another line of guard dressed in there best clothes he pushed between two bodies grunting trying to release himself into a wider plain. Becoming free he shook his fine white jacket, pulling it closer over his shoulders, indignant. Several healers stood at the marble railing of the bridge, dresses of fluff and adorned in jewels. They stared at him underneath the dark sky, giggling and whispering to each other. They irritated him, but less people stood on the bridge and he took the moment to lean over the railing and watch the light from paper lanterns that hung along the pathways shine their dim light across the water. Straightening he tucked his hands into his pockets and looked away across the lake, a peninsula extruded into the water, a intricate fence circled the edge enclosing tables draped in green clothes. Soft noises of revilery floated across the water to him.

That was were Titus and Leop would be. He could travel the path and attend to his chair, that would be marked with a card scrolled with 'Palio', but really he just wanted to run, run free into the wood that circled the party. Find somewhere to peel off the ornate outfit that had been left for him to wear. The white coat embroidered in bright yellow, it had not buttons but hooks of gold, his shirt was light and soft gray and buttoned from top to botton off to the right with mute black buttons, Black trousers that tied, and fit smoothly into matte black boots that rose to just bellow his knees. Taking his hand from his pant pocket he brought out a red envelope, from his father, he hadn't read it, it was still sealed with a brown dob of wax, a swirled S pressed into it.

This place, these people, nothing had ever felt more right. It fit, he wanted it, it was easy to understand, unlike some of the things he had done with Asher's pack. He swallowed hard. The terrible secret that was kept between a select few, these people would only live just under two years. Then they would all perish.

It felt like he had found what he had been wondering to for all his life, and now it would die. The red envelope still grasped in his hand. He had family, a father mother and sister he had yet to accept but it was here. If he wanted to know his father or his heritage, the chance was open- just a choice, he could join them now and ask questions, seek their affection, learn who he was truly.

But what did it matter? Even if it was everything he wanted, it was almost gone. Now to decide if he wanted to know it, or to let it pass and never miss it. With the dagger from his boot he slit the envelope open, revealing a cream colored paper. For a brief moment he thought to let it slip into the water and leave it. No, his mind wanted to know even if his heart shuttered at the loss that would come. In great black winding letters it read:

Palio,

Tonight will not be easy for a wonderer such as yourself, I myself struggle with a tight boot banquet. But your mother so desires to see you, grown and dressed in fine attire. It will not be for you or I but please if you can not spare any conversation, please at least come, set, and listen to her. She loves you deeply, in a way I know you don't understand, but maybe you would if you attained time with her more often. A mother's love, even when they are past is worth knowing.

Sirus

Curse it. He should have dumped the letter in the lake and claimed to know nothing. Stuffing the paper back into his pocket l, he started a hard walk to the peninsula. The healers giggled more, one called out to him, "Palio?! come let us introduce ourselves!" She waved a painted fan at him, he shook his head, no. More in irritation that a answer to their call. He heard them speak now, not trying to keep their gossip low, "he is soo dashing!" If only they knew how dashing.

The bridge met with a pebbled path twisting by large flower beds, lovely trees, some of the leaves starting to change with the late summer season, a white fountain carved of delicate fawns, and forked into a path that circled the tables, where hundreds of pucks enjoyed the evenings festivities. Sitting on a bench close to the trees were lady archers. Buttoned into long dresses, that pleated and shone in the lantern light. Standing in front of them was three other puck guards, one had long black braided hair that laid down her back, in a shimmery green dress. The next had orange eyes of flames, and wore a ankle length gown of red. The last stood in a blue scalloped dress, blue eyes, and wild short redish-blond hair.

He could feel his mood exude from him, dangerous and ill tempered. Fer she would take it and not leave him, maybe she could help decide about seeing his own family, or tag along.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"In the country here they have a moving target range."

"that is where we should be, not here."

"No. We only get this fancy party once a year."

"We should write a letter to Sirus that its something we want to visit and he will make arrangements, he is usually very understanding."

Fer wanted to see the moving target range, her archery skills had gotten better here with the guard and could use an extra challenge. Feeling the front of the lavished dress she had gotten from the water lanterns earlier today she felt out of place. She looked at the clear fabric that wrapped her arms like nothing she had seen before.

The archers conversation slowed and stopped, looking up all their eyes focused passed her. Over her shoulder, Rook hung just behind

. Everyone waited for what he wanted from them, everyone was awfully taken with gossip over the kingdom prince.

Fer smirked and reached out for her friend, "what do YOU want, Palio?"

He crinkled one eye listening to her call him that, "I don't want anything, but to leave." He looked out to the lantern lit tables trying to distinguish which table was Titus'.

One of the other archers answered him, "don't we all." She seemed less adorned and little more grumpy, picking a thin braid out of her hair she untwisting it.

Maybe this was an awful idea, he didn't know what to say to Fer to get her to follow him, and started to move away, kicking the grass before he stepped onto the paved floor of the party, the noise now in his ears. Another lady puck passed in front of him, arm and arm with another girl. She reached out and tugged on one of the gold hooks adorned on his jacket, speaking with a smooth fluid voice, "Palio, my, you are dashing." he brushed her away and she let go.

A hand grabbed at his and Fer stood next to him. He curled his fingers around hers, he hadn't had to say anything. Fer pulled on him out to the floor, her eyebrows kinked together, "dashing? That is all I've heard from everyone."

Rook was starting to recoop from his bad mood, "well, of course, I am the most dashing puck here."

She gave him a look of suspicion and unbelief, "mmm, Maybe cocky, dashing is not the first word that comes to mind. Trouble, nuisance, unreasonable, ridiculous-"

She pulled him between tables, "out of all people, you should now I'm dashing." She stopped, finding Titus's table right beside Leop's. she drug out the chair that sat behind her scrolled place card, putting his foot against it he pushed it back in.

She rose her hands in exasperation, "see, nuisance and ridiculous..." reaching over her, he gabbed the name card and wrapped her around the wrist dragging her over to Titus' table where the twin archers sat. "maybe rude." His name card sat next to Sav's who was no where to be seen. dragging out the chair he released Fer and tossed Sav's name card off the table.

He held Fer's name card looking at the loopy writing, flicking it off into the grass. "No. Dashing." Fer rolled her eyes, he leaned closer to her poking her in the head with one finger, the scar that ran into her hair under his finger, "I've dashed you up stairs, out of trees, into lakes." Titus came and stood behind his chair talking to another guard, "That tub of Jane's." he sat back into his chair, hand behind his head. "People off roofs. I might have dashed Slasher out of a window in recently months but proof has yet to surface."

Fer fiddled with the fork set next to her plate, "fine."

"Then say it." Rook pulled at the sleeves on his jacked, knowing he had won.

"say what?" She questioned the brash puck.

Leaning on his hand he flashed a sharp smile, "that you think I am dashing."

Beaten Fer answered with sass, "I do, I think you are a ridiculously dashing nuisance."

"Thank you."

Fer rubbed at the fabric of her dress, "I don't feel much like myself in this, but its from who I am suppose to be..."

Rook drank from the goblet, draining it and sitting it back down, he spoke quietly, "I've been having the same issue." Another lady passed studying the kingdom prince as she passed. He looked away from the lady and studied the gown Fer was adorn in. A blue dress with a scalloped design started at her waist and drifted to the floor that looked like the scales of the wild water lanterns. The design left her shoulders uncovered, Sleeves attached under the arm covering her from the base of her shoulders to her wrist in fine clear material. distracted he reached out and touched the fabric on her arm.

"it's like a silk or plant material." She rubbed the ruffles down her waist, "my mother gave it to me earlier." she leaned back in the chair, "it's strange to think all of a sudden we both have parents."

Titus sat scouting out that he could talk to his wife seated at Leop's table. Rook inclined over the arm rest,"how did you explain that? Hello, I'm your half human daughter from the future. You were murdered at my birth and I don't know you."

"Something like that, with a small dose of tact." Sav now circled the table looking for his name card and sat next to Titus in someone else's chair. A mink gentleman gracefully sat salads in front of each guest, and on each of the open seats. Fer picked out a fat cucumber and crunched it.

Rook pinched at a piece of lettuces and tossed it over his shoulder,"Grass? this big fancy gala and they serve grass." Fer picked the cucumber off the top of his salad and ate it too.

"How is your family? They at least expected you. My mom didn't even know or expect she would have a child." She crunched off a bite of greens.

Fidgeting he pulled the letter from his pocket, evaluating it's now crushed and wrinkled edges. "I haven't seen them more than you have." His thoughts where distracted by another admirer.

"Palio!"

The lioness daughter, leaned over the back of an empty chair. Her black hair hung wild, sweeping way past her waist, her eyes rounded with black showing the lion in her, the inside a deep yellow matching the dress she wore. Now everyone watched him, Rook sank into his chair cursing under his breath, "Georgia."

"How lovely of you to remember," she purred running a hand over her well fitted dress, "having any interest in a walk?"

"No," it came out firm and loud. The collar of his coat rose around his face as he sunk deeper into his chair.

"Don't be so shy, I would gladly escort you!" she circled the table to him, dragging Rook out of his seat.

"You are going to wish my issue was being shy." He growled as she tugged him by the sleeve.

"Come on. You are the kingdom prince, show me how dashing you can be."

He pulled away from her and tugged his jacket straight, smooth his shirt flat, and shook the hair out of his eyes, " it might benefit everyone to have some truthful gossip."

Fer raised a hand in protest, then lowered it. They walked away, the lioness hanging on the Rooks arm. He was going to do whatever he wanted anyway, she might as well not nag. Leop and Scrap joined the tables.

Scrap plopped into Rook's chair chattering, "Did you see me?!" He stood in the seat adorned in a fancy jacket and long boots, the shirt underneath a deep blue.

"you look awfully dapper." Fer rubbed the embroider on his sleeve cuff while Scrap scanned the tables looking for his brother.

"Where is Rook at?" he sat into the chair picking through the salad Rook had left and eating the tomatoes.

"just left with a Georgia." Fer rested her chin on her elbow watching Ada setting in Titus' lap unscrew the cap to a pepper shaker and pour all of its contents into her father's salad while he spoke with Lidea and Leop behind him.

"Georgia?!" Scrap was leaning out of his chair, three tomatoes in his mouth, concerned.

Ember grinned from across the table, "She is perrrfectly fascinating."

"if you want a cat!" Coal shoved his brother, " I don't think Palio is particularly interested, didn't seem so yesturday."

"You met with Georgia yesturday?"

"She bumps into us from time to time. "

The calm noise of the pucks quieted as a scream pierced through the evenings conversations. Leop half stood looking out over the water where the commotion had came from, everything dark but the glow of the lanterns that lit the bridge. Foot steps ran back and forth and horse hooves clattered on the stone path it was difficult to tell what had happened. Splashing and yelling, then someone from across the water yelled, "She's alright!"

Titus shrugged to his wife and turned back toward his food, Ada now washing a carrot in the glass of water at his place setting, black specks floating off the vegetable to rest on the surface. Everyone settled back into their conversations, Titus was taking stock in what had happened, scolding Ada gently just as waiting doe ladies started picking up the salads and replacing them with plates of a main course. Some pucks eating steamed vegetables, rice, and sugared apples. Others plates filled with thick cuts of meat, long green beans, and bread.

Scrap stabbed his fork into the edge of the meat pulling the entire slab toward his mouth prepared to take a bite, interrupted by Rook who hooked and arm around the younger puck middle and lifting him off the chair, "HEY! I was sitting there!"

"Well, I was sitting there first." Rook pushed Scrap over to Leop's table where an empty chair was marked with his name, a plate waiting for him. Returning he sunk into the chair.

"Sooo, how did your walk go?" Fer asked, setting straight cutting a fat piece of summer squash in half.

"fantastic." speaking gruffly through a mouthful of meat.

Now Ember and Coal listened, "then where is she if it went so well?"

Rook shrugged, soaking up blood from the edge of the plate into the bread. The letter from Sirus sticking out from under a cloth napkin taking up his attention. Fer notice and drew the letter out reading the crumpled note, "are you going?"

He shrugged again, pushing one of the last bites of meat through dripping hidden under the beans. "you should. We are never going to get this chance again."

Leaning back he breathed deeply, thinking over if he would go see Sirus and Zay or take a swim in the lake next to camp. Tossing Georgia in the river had made an ich to go swimming. Surely Fer would take being dashed into the lake much better than the lioness had.

As he thought over what to do, Gergia marched through the dinning area dressed in her guard uniform her hair wavy from the dip in the lake, fuming," Palio! You are as dashing as a..a.." she grasped Embers drinking glass frustrated and angry and flung its contents into Rook 's face "a dead horse!"

Huffing she marched away, Titus erupting into laughter followed by the others. "I thought you said it went fantastic?! "

"she isn't coming back," wiping most of the moisture away on a sleeve, "how is this not fantastic?" Water dripped into the plate ruining the meal, Fer pushed a thin carrot around obviously finished.

"Fine." He used the table cloth to dry his shirt, "Let's go see Zay."

"I'm coming with you?"

"yes." he said with exasperation, of course she was, that was a stupid question. Rising, she flattened her becoming dress and took his arm, "you have to come because I need someone else to dash in the lake after we are done with Sirus."

"I am just an easy target."

Rook scratched at his jaw, "usually."


	31. 31 Daggers (middle)

the winter months were different. surveillance of rebels peaked. Some day the band of guard follow the rebel and report back. Other days they stole there supplies and confused there trails. Once in a great while they would be caught, resulting in fighting but Rook could get them out of those pinches. He may not have been great at plowing fields or wasps, but playing tricks, stealing supplies, and fighting, well that was second nature.

A thick snow had fallen, and they waited for the night. If what they heard yesterday was correct, the rebels would move through the summerlands and exit through to the waterkin way at dusk, then they would join others in the cliff lands and pass through the "rebel way". Rook was anticipating the evening. He new the cliff lands, and would love to find a new way there, but it was still a while off from dusk when they could pass to the nathe and head to the cliff lands, hopefully before the rebels.

to pass the time Coal, Ember, Rook, and Leop started a game of daggers, still hashing out the rules. Ember stood in the center of the large tent they had been taking residence in for the winter. With the deep cold, it was warmer for everyone to sleep in one large tent than the singles, and a small fire could be kept burning on particularly bitter evenings. He held the short straight dagger by its blade tip swinging it back and forth from his shoulder to his knee.

"alright, you have to hit the second ring," Coal pointed at the make shift target hanging from the tents main pillar. "If you hit anywhere else, you have to tell us about any scar we choice."

Coal, let the dagger go, striking the line between the second and third ring, "is that in or out?"

Leop lent back on his heels thinking, "out, I want to know where you go the jagged mess on your shoulder.

Ember smiled, "Coal took a carpentry tool to me when we were eight."

Leop shrugged, "I had hoped for a better story, like sharped tooth fish, or a steak knife over dinner."

Ember pulled the dagger from the target and passed it to Rook. Holding the dagger at its point he tested its weight as slung it just as he had watched the others do, but it hit just outside the third ring, then fell from its mark to the floor.

"It's a good thing you are a poor shot, I want to hear about all your scars." Ember prodded at him through his dark blue sweater.

Coal rubs his face thinking, "alright the bite across your chest, that had to be awful, another land puck?"

Rook rubbed at the scar, "no. Wilding wolf, I ...was bound to a forsworn lady for a long time. Her wolf guards and I didn't get along well, still don't. "

Leop clapped him on the back, "See Ember, that is a story, this lady is still around?"

"The Mor? no. The new summerland lady did away with her, but the wolf guards are. They work for the new lady." Rook looked over to the corner of the tent where Sav and Scrap sat together talking. Sav wound bandages and organized his supplies Scrap wrote on a tan scroll of paper. While He didn't know if they knew Fer was the caretaker for the summerlands or not, but if they didn't it was probably better that way.

"huh." Leop pushed Coal, "your turn."

Coal hit a solid bulls-eye, but had been trying for the second ring, it was Rooks turn to choose. He had seen them all drift around the camp clad in shorts alone, what scars did this puck have? "that long strip along your leg, what is that like three hand breaths long?"

Coal nodded in agreance, "pushed from a roof while fighting in the sandkins land. While I held on to the ledge, another came by stuck a dagger in my leg trying to pull me to the ground. Then an archer came and shot him, and pulled me upon the roof again."

Everyone seemed pleased with this, and Coal passed the Dagger to Leop, his throw sunk the dagger deep into the second ring. The other groaned, they were not getting any stories from the leader.

A cold rush of wind bristled through the warm tent, Forl covered in a brown coat, its hood wrapped around his face held the opening wide. Titus hidden in a deep green coat ducked to come in, his face covered. Forl retreated back out into the blowing snow, letting Fer in. She had a white colored coat to her knees, over her patch jacket, and guard jacket and set to work on a fire in the ash covered pit.

Titus unbuttoned his thick coat, showing his guard jacked underneath. The guard jacket hung unevenly, weighted down on the right. From a large pocket inside, he withdrew a fluffy black dog and sat her on the ground. Ada shifted and shivered in her purple coat, arms raised tiredly to her uncle who hugged her before she lopped off to Scrap who shared paper with her.

Forl brought back one of the tent that were lived in, in the warmer months, shedding snow about the floor. Titus and Forl moved a small table from the room, putting it out in the cold, and sat the tent up inside. Leop came to help, understanding something was wrong.

"Titus?" He questioned, while anchoring the tent strap to a log they would have used for fuel for the fire "you are not suppose to be out this way! Why haven't you returned to Sirus?!"

Pushing back the hood on his coat, he shrugged the green layer to the floor, another shadowy dog curled around his neck. He pulled her free, cradling her in his arms, "delays, and we couldn't wait. I'm just glade you were set up in the valley. Now, everything will be fine," and hide Lidea in the small tent.

The fire now burning bright, Fer scavenged, finding a blanket, motioning with her hands for something of medium size, "a water bucket?"

Coal dug a metal pail from the dishes, "thanks" in which she filled with snow, hanging it above the fire beside a tea kettle already heaped with snow.

Forl had collapse on the ground still heaving deep breaths, Titus bent checking on him, "alright?"

He looked up glared, "well see if I live tonight, and how sore my legs and chest are tomorrow."

Titus slapped him on the back,"pulling the wagon is good for ya'." It was usually Titus that burdened the supply wagon. The leader brothers sat together next to the fire, Titus' attention on the tent where Fer was coming out of with a cloth in hand.

Leop shook his head, his orange eyes burned with concern, "you shouldn't have brought them out here."

Titus still focused elsewhere, "I didn't mean to. We were headed back to the kingdom in the drylands, but the rebel we were tracking blocked down the way. We couldn't get through with out a fight and couldn't afford it right now. We passed through the way of trees, to here hoping to pass to the kingdom here, but its just as blocked. They are planning something, are you sure you are not in their trap?"

Leop got up and paced, "I think they are planning something and blocking ways to keep guards from coming in, but I don't' think the rebels know we are already camped in the land. " He tipped his head to the archer twins and Rook, still playing daggers, " I had the colts out earlier in the day and the rebels seem unaware of us here. but its worth keeping on our toes that this might be our noose and not theirs."

Whining came from the Tent. Titus left Leop hurriedly, disappearing inside the flap. Fer shed her top layer, the patch jacket still bundled close. Pouring what was left in the water bucket into the tea kettle, she retrieved more snow While watching the dagger game Ember was pulling off his sweater to show a broad scar down his side.

A good half hour passed before Titus returned, shrugged around a handful of fuzz. "Fer, were did that cloth go?" She rose quickly bringing the towel from her pocket, Titus poured warm water from the kettle onto it with one hand, pressing the fuzz to his chest with other. wringing the cloth out he scrubbed at the tiny little pup in his palm.

Fer craned to see the ball of black fluff, Leop joining. Now cleaner, Titus rubbed a finger against the pups mouth, slowly its small jaws opened, showing the tooth under its tiny pink tongue as it gaped a yawn. Titus Scraped it clear of the pups mouth and out into his hand. the pup shifted to a curled up pink babe, that stretched and cried, interrupting the dagger game. Now everyone gawked.

Leop gently pinched at the little whelps hand, the tiny boy wrapping his ring finger tightly, "Well, now you can quite. you got a lovely lady, and a fightin' boy. What you are going to do with two, I will never know."

"I've got four pockets, they can take their picks, besides you said that when Ada was born, and she does just fine, if not better than most." the little girl now at his hip standing tall on her toes to see the new brother. Pushing away from the others, Titus took the small creature back to the tent, holding the door open for Ada who skipped in to her mother.

Scrap tugged at Fer, "A baby puck?! It was so small!" His eyes wide.

Fer grinned at his innocence, pushing blond strands of hair off behind her ear, "it was something to see." Filling the pot with cut vegetables, food was usually Lidea or Sav's task but she felt able and willing to help with the current excitement distracting Lidea, but Sav? Fer looked around and didn't see the tall thin healer anywhere.

A 'thunk' followed by a clatter came from the dagger board, the archer twins laughing and Forl who had joined the game snorted in amusement. The target swung and fell off the tent pillar.

Between laughs Coal howled,"You are retched!" Rook adorned a sheepish grin, at the brothers entertainment of his horrible dagger toss. After all had recovered, Ember tugged at Rooks shirt pulling it off over his head, inspecting each scar. Starting with the wolf bites, checking at a short first-blood trophy, and moving to the eight pointed whirlpool. Pushing a finger into it, both brothers admired the mark, "that's a beauty, what is that like a brand?"

Fer listened, now everyone was going to know Rook and her had been friendly with each others lips. Sav returned in from the blowing snow, his coat covered in large flakes of white. "Where have you been?" Fer questioned him. She hadn't seen him since they took refuge in Leop's tent.

"repacked the wagon, put that table in, moved things around." He shrugged off the coat into the others. Something still seemed wrong.

Lidea came from the tent, her coat bundled over her tightly, ivory pale and tired circles under her eyes but her new baby bundled in a yellow swaddle blanket clasped tightly against her chest.

Fer picked up the kettle, " tea?"

"Yes please" Fer filled a cup and passed it to the healer, who tenderly passed the new child, "watch his neck."

Fer cradled the sleeping pucks head in her palm and lifted him to her shoulder bouncing softly as he rested there, "he so small!" The child wiggled inside his blanket, one hand coming loose to show a brown sleeve, that Fer picked up and tucked back into the blanket. Lidea settled beside the fire watching Titus take apart the smaller tent and haul it back out into the snow as she sipped her tea.

Leop, came close his head hanging over Fer's shoulder he rubbed at the baby's small check, "pass out the meal we have an hour before we need to out in the snow and extra time would be a blessing." To which Fer nodded, passing the small bundle to him.

"you just wanted the baby." Leop brought the child to his face pressing the boy to his lips.

"maybe, but we also need to attempt to be productive today," his eyes watching the pucks at the other end of the tent all shirtless and poking at one of Forl's scars, Scrap now sitting in on their fun.

Everyone had taken food happily, the four all jovial over their game of daggers. Leop was instructing Scrap lightly over what was expected this evening. Scrap asking questions frequently, connecting fondly with the leader between scoops of food. Titus exuded a satisfied pride as Ada wiggled beside him, and Lidea leaned her back on his opposite shoulder as she ate. Looking tired and ragged but please with the small bundle that lay in her lap.

Fer sunk in between Rook and Scrap, momentarily quiet while listening to stories of antics that the brothers had done to their last leader they had been saddled to.

"Awfully quiet, Fer. You should have joined us, you have some good scar stories."

She did really, she had one from Mor, and one from the forsworn that had taken over the land, and the crack across her forehead. "So you told everyone about your arrow scar, huh?"

"yup, that the summerland lady drove an arrow through my chest, then healed the wound with her land by way of a kiss, " he tipped the bowl up to his mouth taking the last of the soup. "now they think the summerland lady is five hundred years old ninny, a bad shot, and maybe a moose-kind or an elk lady, because that is the only thing that kiss me wounded and dying..."

"a bad shot?! Did you straighten this out?"

"I tried to straight out the facts, that I don't even think a moose would have kissed either of them but, they were too busy imagining how awful a moose kiss would have been."

Fer finally cracked a smile, "a wet moose in a trough..." Rook shared her joke.


	32. 32 Return

Before they even touch down Fer was ready to depart. Her long hair unfurled in the wind, smiling brightly ready to be home. The dragon's brisk wing flaps pressed the grass into the ground as they neared not quiet close enough to jump but Fer was posed at the edge ready to leap when the chance came available.

Lowering further Fer pushed of tumbling into the grass below smoke wisping around her, changing her into a painted mare she galloped off almost out of the prairie before the dragon finally touched down.

"What do you want to do? " Rook asked Scrap.

"Find Tatter and tell him everything! " Rook smiled happy for his brother but couldn't find the excitement for himself. He didn't want to find his pack, he wanted to back in the kingdom.

Following Scrap out to the camp site all the pucks were now in Fer 's land. Scrap was talking to them long before he reached the trees. Tatter laughed rung out friendly as he came to the young brother slowing when they met his countenance becoming concerned. Rook caught up quickly.

"The rebel guards almost had us but you should have seen Ferlady! " Tatter nodded like he listened but connected his orange eyes with Rooks asking a question to Scrap, "do you stand a tree limb higher than you did not thirty minutes ago Scrap? "

Scrap didn't blink, "well yeah, I'm nine now!"

"No you were just eight this morning."

"We were gone for a year! " the boy was nothing but thrilled. Excited to tell everyone, he passed his brothers out to the others leaving Tatter and Rook by themselves.

"Two years? " Tatter grasped at his brothers face glancing him over. "You even look older..." Rook pulled away from him starting to think of the trouble he would be in.

"Yes. I met my parents, learned a lot, fought, it was great. " Rook looked to the dragon behind him and found the shifter bone in his pocket thinking of running.

"Learn a lot? "

Rook took several steps backwards seeing Asher approach out from under the trees, "yes like I like Leop, much better than I like Asher." He yelled it out to the leader who stopped in his tracks listening. But Rook was already running, there was no chance he wanted to lay around a camp fire and plan mischeive with his brothers today, he had guard work to do. He would find Isla and the dune and decide what to do with them.

"let's go Rize!"

"As you wish Palio."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bursting in the door Fer found Jane in the kitchen crushing boiling, red tomatoes in a pot, "Grand-Jane! I met my mother and you will never guess, she was a water lantern!" Fer held her grandmother close who was pulling at the girls hair.

"Fer! What has happened?!" she grasped at her grand daughters hands holding Fer away from her looking at her long hair and the way her face seemed older. "It's not lunch yet and your hair is a foot longer child?!"

Fer shrugged, "I took spring to the kingdom and it has a 'way of time', a couple of years might have past?"

"you and that puck?!"

"Well Scrap, me and Rook, yes." Jane went back to crushing tomatoes, but with more ferocity now.

Fer hooked her guard jacket on the coat rack and headed for the door,"hey, I'm going to go check on the land, see you later!"

Jane didn't have time to respond before Fer had crossed the entry way and shut the door behind her, yelling at the open window, "be back before dark, I'm making that pizza you wanted!" Hoping the wild lady of the land heard her.

XXXXXXXXXX

Isla sat in her tall chair at the end of an empty table in her main chambers. One leg tossed over the arm rest her head laid back in despair, "what now..." She groaned pushing out of the cushioned seat rounding the table again for the third time this hour.

The chambers ceiling creaked and cracked leaking dust from the rafters. "RIZE! get off my building!" the lady puck bellowed at the room her face pointed to the ceiling above.

From the window came a black dog with yellow eyes that padded onto the table top finding the center and sat, tail wagging.

"ooh, Palio..." No Isla paced back and forth thinking. Rook shifted still sitting in the table center.

"So what is your plan Isla?"

Pacing beside the table a third time, Isla looked to her brother seated on her table. Mouth slack in shock she clamber to stand beside him pulling on the gray embroidered jacket, "you been to the kingdom!"

Cooley he responded, "well yeah, there wasn't anything more entertaining to do."

Now Isla paced faster, "you can get through the lake of time?"

Rook didn't answer, that was a stupid question, where would have gotten the guard uniform otherwise?

She slowed a crooked grin starting to spread across her face, "I need through to the kingdom."

Rook jumped off the table looking through the shelves on the west side of the room, "so go."

"I can't get through myself." She followed behind straightening the objects he rummaged through, "partially because I don't have a key!" Isla slapped Rooks hand as he reached out to grab a bottle containing a bright green beetle with large jaws, "because you took it from me!"

Pulling his hand from his pocket Rook sat the yellow jewel on the ledge in front of her, "maybe you are not evil," she said quickly retrieving her key to the kingdom land.

Curiosity still perked and the fact that it was bothering his sister Rook continued to explore through the items lined along the wall. Pinching at deep red sand that filled a shallow dish he caught his sleeve on a potted cactus that crashed to the floor, "sorry."

"But I still don't like you..." Isla swept her coat from a nearby chair and headed back to the tall cushioned seat at the head of the table pulling a deep red dagger from its edge, "alright lets go."

Rook eyed her curiously while folding out a map from a large book, "no? why would I go?" He closed the book the map still hanging from the edges folded in unnaturally and shoved into the shelf, "the ways are all connected now? cant you get through from any land?" When they had left the pools where all full and reflecting their own connected land...

"Listen, Palio. I can't get through. You need to go and open the way and we will figure out what to do when we are on the other side."

"the dragon says you have done this hundreds of times, what is it going to matter? I was just there. What can be done? The kingdom will be forsworn no matter what. Sirus, Leop, Titus, and you have tried over and over to save the kingdom. Its not here now so it was never rescued."

Isla raked hands through her hair as if he had hit a cord, "we can try!" she paced again grabbing a glass globe from him as she past, "don't you want to try?"

he didn't answer, "so that is your plan? you get the kingdom all ready to be resumed and then nothing. There is nothing left to be done." Rook drug the shifter from his pocket content and sorry. She had no plan, there was no chance she would be bringing the kingdom and ruling it, but at the same time there was no chance for all those people to be saved.

Stepping into the windows edge Rook decided to leave her, she couldn't cause much trouble stuck the way she was. Isla leaned out the window on the other side yelling at a man in sandkin garb bellow in their natural tongue , Rook watched uncaring, she was probably calling for guards but the dragon would take him swiftly away for them, easy escape.

"I wont go with you to the kingdom, really the way is probably still open." they had just left there.

"but then how would I get back Palio?!"

"why can't you open it?" wasn't she a heart of Sirus?

"that isn't important..." She glared down at him from the next window the wind blowing the shutters closed, "last offer are you coming?"

"No." Final answer, leaning out the window the wind pushing at his hair and coat, Rook looked up to the red tail hanging from the buildings roof, "Rize! Ready?"

The dragon started to turn, sand from the roof tops bellowing off from underneath him. A creeping feeling returned. Rook glancing down just in time to see the dune grown from the sandy ground bellow.

"Oh, curse it." He liked his sister as much as she like him, "Rize! anytime!"

The gritty sand arm reached slowly intent on taking Rook from the window who stepped down back into Isla's sandkin meeting room, finding Isla right behind him brandishing the dagger toward him. "You are coming." The dunes arm came through the open shutters grasping the dark puck around the waist, pulling him back through the opening out over the sand kin street.

Before the monster could get Rook to his mouth, Rook put the shifter tooth into place leaving enough space to slip through the dunes hold and out onto a awning above a vegetable stand.

Rize swooped down plucking the shagging dog out of the market as the patrons scrambled for their lives, ducking into store fronts and jumping behind displays. Shifting back Rook climbed to the dragons leg watching behind as the dune turned into a wind storm trailing them quickly.

"What is the plan dragon?" Rize banked around a tall block of buildings soaring quickly down a empty street.

The red ember dragon chuckled, "I was following you."

Rook flared his nostrils thinking as the sand wall gained ground on them, Rize rolling in the air to change directions down a cramp alley, the wide reach of the dragons wings knocking stone from the buildings on either side, the sandy wind starting to crowd around them,

"Fly up." he was alright escaping when he thought Isla could cause no harm but now she was trying to take him with force with no care of what damage it caused her own land. He couldn't just leave her.

Rize's wings changed from a loose flap to a tight beat, but before three strokes had been taken the dragon faltered. Watching behind Rook saw the dune back in monster form grasping the dragons tale before they plummeted to the sandy surface of the land.

The dragons laid out, trying to right its large form back onto its legs, letting free a growl of frustration, as the sand twisted around them, "Hey Rize, melt it, melt it to the ground!" Rook grasped onto the dragons foot as it righted itself, clinging to the thick scales, covering his face with the sleeve of his jacket. The air hard to breathe through the sand. Above the dragons neck glowed red, the fire inside the beast growing hot, that Rook felt the swelter.

Sand of the dune still circled around them, the dragon's tongue unfurled from his mouth, the glow in its throat moving up into its mouth, blasting out into the market street. The heat too intense to look, Rook pulled the jacket around his face holding closer to the dragons leg, shielding himself. The sound of crisp fire and rushing wind deafening.

A beat came from the dragon, lifting from the ground, Rook looking out to see an cyclone of glowing red glass below, fire still rushing from the dragon as it burnt the last of the sand dune, the grit in the air thinning and falling like rain to the street. Unfortunately the building to the west also burned the black smoke bellowing out and filling the sky.

Rize sat down into the street beside the hot glass, large flakes of ash coming from the building, Isla standing in the alley beside it, "You! How can you ruin everything?! How many time's have I tried to bring our family back and you haven't tried once?! Yet I have plans to try again and you destroy them!"

She came at him pulling Rook closer to the building, upset at the brother, "I do want the kingdom." Rook pushed her, she hit the wall behind them crumpling a section of a window, flames now licking out of the space, "but how? just because the ways are connected doesn't fix how we can save those people." She was being irrational, she had to know this.

Shifting the black cat leaped at Rook, pushing him onto his back, tugging him into the building the black smoke clouding his vision, the burning ceiling beams casting an orange glow through the thick fog, ash falling everywhere, the wall of a room beside them collapsing as Isla shifted back.

"Isla don't be stupid, we will both die!" Rook struggled to stand looking for the entrance they came in. His sister coughed but he couldn't see her.

"Try! Go to the kingdom and try once to bring our family to this time." Her voice was cracked from the smoke, still out of view.

"No Isla, its a fools errand!" Reaching out searching for a way out Rooks hand found another persons back, grasping her and pushing her to the ground, against the floor white light from the outside could be seen ahead. Struggling Rook crawled dragging the sister behind.

In the alley outside Rook coughed his lungs trying to rid themselves of the fowl air, Isla unconscious. Propping her against the opposite building far enough out of harms way Rook went to the dragon, the giant glass cyclone cooled and clear, it's form casting small rainbows across the sandy ground. The dune finished and Isla's plan thoroughly demolished Rook climbed up on the dragons foot.

Unsure of what to do next Rook spoke to Rize, "now what dragon?" His wings drawing up high above its head into a sharp point.

"I'm sure you will figure it out puck." The dragon chuckled before bounding off the ground and into the space between lands.


	33. 33 The Dresses

Rook fell into a chair at Grand-Jane table. Her little houses was crowded. Fer had to be here, Fray stood inside glaring into his direction, Twig, and he could hear the chipmunk twits somewhere in the back of the house, giggling.

Grand-Jane gave a startled gasp, "You puck! You are covered in, what, what is this?!"

"soot, Jane." He slouched in the kitchen chair.

"Soot?! The girls are trying on their dresses for the Spring ceremonies tonight, you get even one smudge on any of them! So help me!" Rook grinned at her.

The Mor neglected the Spring ceremonies, and the celebration had died while she reined. Fer had reestablished it 4 springs ago. Now it was like her mother had done. All the different kins would come and their people that wanted to be coupled as life mates would announce it to the lands. It made their oaths stronger. He had sat in the shadows and watched several ceremonies. There was always food and dancing afterwords. The ladies would wear delicate white gowns. It was a sign the land was healthy.

A door in the kitchen scraped against the floor and Bur, Twigs sister came out dresses in white, ribbons tied to the tips of her pointed red ears. Twig hugged her sentimentally and pushed her towards a long mirror Jane had leaned against the wall.

Next came out Lavender and Sage in matching gowns, white cotton with flowery veils, they giggled waiting for their turn in the mirror. Rook rubbed a black soot mark on his arm, think about food. There were always apples around here.

"Jane, were are the apples?" She was busy putting pins in the hem of Bur's dress.

"Rook, I am busy." He walked into the kitchen opening cabinets.

"I can see your hand prints from here puck!" It was true he was getting soot on the doors.

"I wouldn't be touching so much if you would tell me where you hid them." He growled softly.

"Why apples? I have bread on the counter, eat that." Grand-Jane said through pins cornered in her lips.

"Apples crunch and juice runs everywhere, its just like a little bunnies bones. The only way apples would be better is if it was covered in fuzz..."He looked over and everyone was staring, but Fray, she smiled wide. "See, Fray understand."

"Fine, you just ruined apples forever anyway, they are in the bread box." He slid the bread box open and took the bowl of red apples out.

Putting one in his teeth, he picked up the bowl with both hands and proceeded to the table. He looked into the door that chipmunk sisters had came out of while passing, Fer stood facing away from him, in a white backless dress draped to the floor. She was twisting her hair up in to a bun and looking into a square mirror that hung on the dresser. He was dumbfounded.

Why is she in white? He could feel his pulse and it seemed like everything around him got louder. Fer caught his reflection in the mirror and turned around blushing, she hopped out the door smiling and laughed like one of the sisters.

"Rook, I'm so glad you are here!" She spun in front of him, her dress was crochet with tiny little details. The strap came up behind her neck and left her arms and back bare. A ribbon was threaded through right below her breast that made the bottom fan out into a bell. She was stunning. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, "weeeeell, what do you think? Grand-Jane has been working on it for more than a year."

Jane called to her, "Oh Fer! You look marvelous!" she was flushed with pride.

All the others ladies step back to let Fer look into the mirror. She smoothed the fabric and smiled glowing, as the rest of the brides, but she wasn't a bride, right?

Lavender giggled "Its that fox, Maud, isn't Fer lady?" Sage giggled too now. "He is dapper isn't he?" Fer gave a off putting smile he couldn't place, "he asked me three times this year." The Chipmunk girls roared, twig and bur covered their smiles and snickered.

What? Fer had been engaged? Rook could not have missed this, the room seemed to spin. He was still stuck in the same place he had been at the first sight of Fer in her white gown. He took the apple out of his mouth and put it back in the bowl, no longer hungry, letting himself out.

He walked out to the Lady Tree then climbed the ladder up. Why did it bother him? He knew he was losing his best friend. He didn't call her a friend often, but she told him all the time that he was her best friend.

Panic pass over him, he continued to climb. He didn't want to lose her. He climbed onto the roof of the last tree house and started up into the branches. There was no way he could cause any mischievous if she was coupled to someone. Why couldn't she stay unbound like him? Free, wild.

From his perch he could see twig and bur leave Jane's tiny hose, followed by Fray and Fer. He placed the shifter tooth under his tongue, he would hear better as a dog and they may be less likely to see against the dark sky. Fer hugged Bur again a long loving hug then walked to the Lady tree. "Fray, did you see Rook leave?"

"No, Ferlady."

Fer grasped Frays arm, "I think I will sit up for awhile." Fray nodded and headed off to stand guard at Fer's grandmothers.

He watched her stand out in the empty dark grass in between her tree and Janes house. Eyes closes, surely feeling her land. The corners of her lips turned into a slight smile and she looked in his direction. "I can feel you up there, you know? You might as well come down."

Rook shifted and she could see him, a shadow in the dark his leg swing from a branch almost at the very top of the lady tree. His eyes glowed against the black night. He didn't budge. Fer sighed and started to climb to him.

The branch split into 4 thick limbs. She sat on the same limb of the tree Rook was on with her back lent against the next branch over. The stars where brilliant above, the trees leaves made a secluded room that she could still peak out to see all of the Summerland. It made her content.

Rook watched her, she could see him further down the branch, his eyes aflame. "I'm not going to the Spring Celebration as a bride, Rook."

He said nothing. She knew he would listen. His voice came, it was gruff and low, "I had no idea you where engaged, Fer." Even if it wasn't this Spring Celebration, he would lose her at one of the next.

"I"M NOT! To Maud?" Fer let out a laugh, she didn't mean for him to misunderstand. "He asked me to wed him, three times. He does very well with his two wives he has, the dirty old fox." She could feel the tension let out. "The girls know him, He has asked everyone to be married! They understand, I didn't think about you listening."

She smiled gently out to the shadow on the branch. "Grand-Jane is dying my dress blue. It will be wonderful. The idea of marring a half animal is hard to adjust to." The leaves rustled in the breeze. She move down the branch toward him. She smacked his leg, to get a response. "What Fer?" he growled.

"Well? talk to me." He didn't say anything. After awhile Fer gave up on the suborn puck and left to her tree house. For awhile the cloth walls glowed yellow but then went dark, and Rook was left to think.


	34. 34 Willow Tree

With a smooth motion the leaf lady made two long lines of white Lilly's burst up from the dirt. With another wave of her wrist the long grass of the summerland's meadow laid down flat. Spreading her hands flat, pews of vines grew from the ground sprouting white flowers.

She was doing well, "It will be beautiful." Fer picked up a couple branches still left out on the path, "I need to go check on the food, and my Summerland couples. Then my dress! I'll see you just before dark." Fer waved back as she ran of the Grand-Jane's house, the leaf lady nodded, busy with her work.

The lamps were already lit in the little home, it wouldn't be long before the night would set in. These celebrations where always so exciting! The door stuck, Fer used her shoulder to budge it open. "Grand-Jane?!"

Jane came in to the kitchen from the bedroom, "What is it Fer?" She seemed worn out.

"I came to check on you," and food but she could make her own sandwich. Fer put lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and cheese in between two slices of bread and sat down at the table. "how are you holding up?"

"I just finished the alterations on the last two dresses. I completely forgot about dying your dress Fer."

Disappointment flourished. Her Grandmother had been working on that dress since before last years celebration. It wasn't Grand-Jane's fault there were 7 couples in the Summerland this year. It was wonderful, but her Grandmother had made all there dresses, she wasn't a bride hers wasn't as important.

"That's fine Grand-Jane, I have that dark green dress I wore to the Drylands commencement this last winter."

"I'm glad you are fine with it Fer, it will be done before you know it."Jane pressed her hands at her hips, sighing while looking over the finished dresses.

Taking her sandwich she headed back out the door. The meadow now had trails of lanterns held high on curled vines heading from a circular platform in front of all the pews. The leaf lady was standing in the wide center isle causing a large plant to grow from the middle of the platform. It was unclear what it was but it would be **wonderful**.

Turning away Fer head to the Damplands where the food was being brought from.

Once she returned through the way, the sky was turning a red, orange. "dusk? already?" starting to feel overwhelmed with what was left to do. At the base of the lady tree tents had been set, two for each land. One for the ladies and one for the men being bound. People where already arriving for the ceremony!

Climbing she spoke out loud to herself, "its fine everything will go fine" breathing deeply, trying to stay calm, she reached her tree house and looked over the Summerland from her balcony. With a gasp of surprise, "how did I miss that" a giant willow tree stood taller than the lady tree. Under its canopy fit all of the pews and platform. the great branches where pulled back at the entrance by long vines that matched the ones that hoisted the lanterns over the walking paths. White flowers peppered the outside of the trees branches that mirrored the flowers on the pews.

Fray called up from below, " are you ready Ferlady?"

Not really, " sure Fray give me a couple minutes" she stepped into her house, " can you see if Twig could spare me a few minutes?" she didn't wait for the wolf to respond and headed to the chest in her room. Clicking the latch open, she pushed the heavy lid up on top sat a tray of trinkets. The wooden box from her dad, a stone with a hole in the middle, a comb, and the jeweled willow tree from the birch ladies land. The willow necklace from the birch ladies land mirrored the willow in the meadow, "see everything is going to be fine." Tonight would be a grand memory.

Dressed in a long, deep green gown with no sleeves, and a v neck that framed the willow tree necklace perfectly, Fer felt well dressed. Twig had braided her hair and wrapped it into a fat bun that covered most of the back of her head. Walking along the path way to the ceremonies she greeted many, remembering she had promised to see the leaf lady before dark and hadn't. The light of day was finally conceding to night, the lanterns glow filled the walks, willow, and tables. the tents glowed with yellow light. Yes, everything was perfect with minutes to spare.

But the thunder. Fer changed here focus to the skies above seeing thousands of stars, lands, and the bright moon. The thunder became clearer, pucks, somewhere she just couldn't see them yet. Continuing on past the willow she headed out to the way from the Nathe. Sure enough 20 black horses pounded a path up to Summerland. Fer took a firm stance in their path, arms crossed.

First to shift was Asher, then Scrap, and Tatters.

"I don't need any puck tricks tonight."

"we are not offering you or the Summerland any."

Just, there maybe a better night to visit Asher"

Are the pucks not invited to the celebration?"

Fern didn't want to offend them but there was a good chance they were here to cause trouble. " the Nathe doesn't have a lord so, no not really." Turning she started to walk back to the willow tree where she would be needed soon.

Rip interjected, " actually the land took Asher as the leader yesterday."

Fern turned back, "what? That is wonderful" the land would be healthier for it. "but I still don't think I want your pack here tonight. What is your purpose for being at the celebration if not trouble?"

Scrap pushed through his older brothers, "Fer!"

"what Scrap?"

"why are you wearing that?"

"what do you mean?"

I thought all the girls wore white to these things?

"no, I'm not doing what the other ladies are doing." Fer laughed "I'm not getting bound."

A tall fox dressed in a deep red suit pushed from a group of visitors. "its not too late lady."

"ugh! Maude! No I am not going to be bound!" grabbing the edge of his red hat and pulling it over his face.

"pucks," she called over her shoulder irritably." do NOT cause trouble in my land!"

The Drylands were already in line to be announced. 

**Finally back to her own Summerland ladies tent, Fer took a chair. They where three quarters of the way through the ceremonies and so far so good.**

Rook watched Fer arrive at the summerlands tent from his perch high in the lady tree. He had watch her attend to this celebration before, she seemed busy as normal. For a moment longer he watched the waterkin folk stand at the platform being bound. Nothing spectacular, for anyone but those giving the oaths. Done observing he climbed out of the tree and moved to the tents coming to the front of the summerland ladies tent guarded by Fray.

"What do you want pucky?"

"Seeing whats going on Fray."

"The celebration doesn't involve you, beat it."

stepping forward he pushed the wolf guard into the tents fabric wall behind her, slipping Frays prized dagger off her belt and sliding it under his coat. "Fine Fray, no need to be snappy," and went down the line of tents away from Fray who was still talking.

"I'll show you snappy , Puck!"

Once he had past three other tents, Rook circled back and found the back of the Sunderland's ladies tent. Using Fray's dagger he cut a slit to step through. Seven brides sat among their friends, Grand-Jane, and Fer who rested in a chair on the opposite wall.

She had already caught sight of him and stood waiting,"Wait tell Fray figures out your in here"

"Wait tell she figures out how I got in here" showing Frays dagger from his deep coat pocket.

"Yep, that would be a guaranteed fight," he nodded and smiled a grin that reached his eyes.

"Your brothers are here, I gave a good try to kick them out but it didn't take."

Rook looked away for a moment deciding how to answer, when Jane figured out that Rook had trespassed. "Rook! this is no place for men, Get out this instant!" Making a shooing motion, causing the attention of the rest of those in the tent.

"Please, Jane? I not even a man. I'm a puck."

"Don't I know it, get out! Now!"

Twisting his fingers in with Fers he drug her to the slit he had made in the tent. "My brothers are here", he dropped his voice and pulled her closer. He stood much taller in his boots, she stood barefoot under her green dress." they're here, because I want something."

Fray stepped into the tent, "Fer, the Damplanders need announ- YOU, Puck!"

"curse it."

"Fray wait!"

"Oh, Ferlady." she drooped, disappointed, "let me kick him out!"

"No"

Pulling her through the slit with him they stood out in the dark underneath the Lady Tree. "What do you want now Rook, everyone wants something tonight."

Fray growled angrily from the front of the tent, "the Dampanders , Lady!"

"Whatever it is Rook, It will have to wait tell later"

"No, now." He fidgeted nervously, "take me, let me be bound to you."

"tonight? What? no. I could never."

"Why?"

"you're wild, free, I've watched you be bound, I hate that idea having anyone bound to me, you especially."

"It wouldn't be being bound. It would make us free from bounds, and if someone else takes you... No man is going to let a puck come and drag away their mate for who knows what."

Fer giggled, "no"

"so I have to be him, I want to be...I'm true to you, we would be true together, bound."

Fray looked around the tent corner again, "Fer, they are going to start without you!"

she sighed and started to head to Fray, "okay, I'm coming!" looking back at Rook over her shoulder as she left.

What had she said?

No, she hated the idea. was that the final answer? Slipping behind the tents he watched her stand on the platform, spread out her arms and announce the Damplanders. Gnar and Lich were there with four other couples all standing spaced out in a line. The lady of the Damplanders came and spoke, then the couple exchanged gifts, most rings or chests, sometimes livestock or land. They each spoke their oaths and then the people watching cheered and Fer dismissed the couples. Then it would take a moment for the next land to get in order. Next was the Summerland, he was too late. He would join his pack and wait tell morning to go home with his brothers.


	35. 35 An Oath

She hadn't said no for the arrangement, she said no because she hated the idea of him being bound. It wasn't an awful thing. The couples left and Fer was no where in sight, following the lantern he entered under the willow trees canopy. In the far West corner the pack sat in the back, Tatter at the very outside edge. Great it couldn't be Rip who wouldn't want to know anything. Scooting in he felt the eyes of his brothers.

Tatter stared in the seat next to him,"she said no, she doesn't want me bound to her, she watched me bound to the Mor and doesn't want it."

"She is a good lady of the land" Tatter understood.

Rook nodded quickly,"Yes" wishing to leave, but agreed she was a good lady of the land and her wisdom was good.

the chipmunk sisters were already lined up, each in their own isle. He could hear them giggle from the other end of the giant willow tree. Then came the fox Burr. the three raccoon cousins, and a wolf daughter. Waiting for Fer to arrive on the stage to announce her own land he pulled the string out of his hair, letting it hang long and fidgeted.

He had wore the guards uniform, trying to remember it was a good no, she was still a good friend and next year could be a yes. Tatter flat smacked him against the chest knocking the younger pucks air free. Rook glared waiting for the air to rush back in, while Tatter pointed. In the very middle isle stood a painted mare. Rook finally got his breathe back as Fer shifted, now wearing the dress she had on in Jane's kitchen last night. her hair had three white flowers in it and a willow tree necklace he hadn't noticed before hung around her neck.

Now his breathe wasn't coming and it wasn't because of Tatter. what was he doing? Just run. This was a terrible idea. Being bound again?! It was Fer. She wouldn't if he didn't want to be bound and she would never use it against him. People where half standing to see the Summerland lady, mummers of gossip buzzed through the people. Usually the lords and ladies being bound were notified to the other lands in advance, everyone was surprised. If they only know how surprised she had been when he had asked fifteen minutes ago. To make matters worse each of the brides had a mate on platform except for her. The talk that rippled through the people became louder.

Tatter shoved him again. "quite pushing. I'm going!"He whispered fiercely.

Taking the shifter bone out he changed to a dark horse and passing through the wall of willow vines to the path right outside passing all the pews out of sight. Entering back into the tree and up the stairs to the platform the other had used. finding his place square middle he sifted back to a collective gasp he had forgotten from the time in the kingdom.

Chin high and standing straight his eyes connected with Fers. She nodded yes, one of her bees came to him buzzing as quietly as they did. "Sure, why not?" He could think of a bunch of reasons why not...

the bee climbed up his long gray coat sleeve and disappeared under the collar. The leaf lady hobbled up the steps, a vine handrail growing as she walked up coming to a stand between Rook and a raccoon man beside him.

the crowd stood, a band played quiet music and the brides came down the isle. Jane was just settling herself into the second row from the front as Fer started to come forward.

Why had he done this so fast? There was no way that Jane approved, but she must. she glowed watching Fer, clamping as she past. The closer she got the more he just wanted this to move faster. Fer walked up the 10 steps to him and started talking immediately,

"You gave up?" She straightened her dress.

"I didn't give up, I was hoping for next year." He fidgeted with the shifter bone in his hand.

"You really want to do this?" She glowed excitedly, but her eye brows knotted.

"'I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." Excitement starting to replace the nervous pit. Fer would be his forever. He could come and go with no worry she would find someone else, ask what he wanted of her. With her fire spirit it wouldn't always be a yes, but she was his to ask.

The Leaf lady spoke of seasons, love, forgiveness, and loyalty. Then the exchanges started.

The leaf lady stood behind them, "Lady Fer and Rook. Make your exchanges."

Fer bubbled, "alright. I am first!"

Rook nodded, surprised she had anything ready in the short time,"fine." Fer brought out the two viles from Locus and handed one to Rook who held it up to the light suspiciously. "what is this?"

"A drink" Rook put the cork of his in between his teeth and tugged, taking a moment to smell the liquid then quickly holding it away.

"This has fur and-"

"yayayaya, stop-don't tell me. I want this."

handing the first bottle to her and uncorking the other he waited.

Fer put the bottle to her lips and tried to take as much of the liquid down in a single gulp. Rook followed suite. The taste was awful, the smell was worse, but the texture of oily slim with thick globs and rough herbs and fur floating across the tongue as it went down pushed it over the edge of disgusting. the last of it was all noddle like balls that burst in the mouth and leaked something warm as it went.

"Fer, whatever this was, I doubt it was worth it." the color had drained from his face and his lips stayed in a uncomfortable grimace.

Fer finished, covering her mouth with the back of her hand gagging. "You might be right." Reaching out she pushed two fingers into his broken heart thread gagging again. "It was from the Locus, To heal broken heart threads."

Rocking from the balls of his feet to the heels, his hair tipping into his vision, "I could be wrong." The first thread light as spider silk stretched across, quickly becoming the thickness of thread thrumming happily. "No, I was wrong, I have missed your heart thread." he didn't look at her when he spoke it he looked out into the pews nodding to his pack.

Slasher came up the middle isle on his shoulder rode a large spider to the people there, a small spider to the pucks. Once at the platform the spider crawled down his arm to the back of his hand that Slasher laid on the platform, "she's my favorite, be kind to her." The spider scurried up Rooks leg and to his shoulder and down to the shadow spider web on the inside of his hand.

Sucking air into his cheek, he blew out a sigh hoping this wasn't stupid.

"Your breath smells like a swamp." Fer leaned back giving a painful smile.

The taste from the heart thread mixture still lingering, "well that is your fault, isn't it?". Taking her left hand in his right he traced a line around his thumb, then the same on hers. The spider followed the instructions spinning a black web that filled the space between the first knuckle and his hand, then climbing onto her and spreading the same mark.

"Is that stupid?" he started

"No, that is perfect." She twisted her wrist looking at the thick band that matched his, the heart thread still becoming thicker. Rook pasted the spider back to his brother.

"That part's easy, " Rook started to fidget again.

the leaf lady stood one couple away. He watched her.

"The oath? okay." she was nervous too. "be bound that we will allow each other to be with out bounds, Bound we will never break our hearth thread again, maybe to never disappear for years again, or that we will stay true to each other. What ever it is not a thrice-sworn oath."

"To stay true." he swayed from one leg to the next one hand in his pocket fidgeting with his sifters, the other at his side, "make it a thrice-sworn oath."

No...no" she leaned forward, grabbing his free hand, "why?"

" If the oath is to stay true, I can be bound to that forever."

The leaf lady shuffled down to them smiling contently, Fer looked out over the people under the flower cover canopy of the willow lit with beautiful lanterns, Jane sat next to fray and twig watching expectantly.

"Make an oath of your commitment?"

Rook spoke first," yes." with a deep breath he started quietly but became louder. " I swear to be True to you Fer, to us, for the length of my life. Once," Fer shook her head in disagreement," twice, three times I swear it. The strong bond wrapped them, to be forsworn if ever broken.

"No" a tear ran down her check, "I didn't want you bound."

"It is fine." he stepped closer that Fer stood right under him, She rubbed at her tear with the back of hand that she held his hand with.

"Lady?"

"Yes. I swear to be true to Rook for the length of my life. Once, twice, three times, I swear it."

The people clapped, a puck howled, and the leaf lady continued to the next couple.

"You didn't have to be thrice sworn, Fer."

"I don't care if I am, I just didn't want you. I know you were trapped in it, I didn't want you trapped in it again. I would rather you stay true out of a want to be, than a fear of being forsworn." the tears started to come again.

"Fer, curse it- don't cry." He growled at her, tipping his head to look her straight in the face, she let go of him to wipe the tears. " Being bound, being forsworn is nothing I take easily. I know you didn't ask for this, but if I had even the smallest doubt I couldn't stay true, I wouldn't have giving a thrice sworn oath. Please be alright." At the end of the platform the first chipmunk sister was sobbing into her mates shoulder giving him hope Jane didn't think he was killing her. Wrapping an arm around her waist he pulled her to his shoulder where she cried harder. He growled at the tree trunk behind them, "Get it together, you are getting my coat all wet...I like this coat."

"What did we just do?" She sounded muffled pressed into his shoulder.

"you act like you didn't have an hour to think about this."

Fer pushed on him a felt her willow necklace sway, "the merchant in the birch-lady's land said that this was a charm of a treasured memory to come." she held it out to examine it herself. "It is exactly this same tree! This can't be a mistake, it was meant to be, tonight, just like it is. " The last couple finished their oaths and the leaf lady came back to the center to announce the end of the ceremony.

Taking Fers hand the short green women shouted out to the people "the Summerland couples for the year are bound!" the crowd clapped and cheered more of the pucks howled, Rook still grasped Fer around the waist with one arm

"Now what lady?" Rook looked down at her, happy to be bound, but ready to run free from this confining stage in front of everyone.

"I have lots to do yet tonight, I'm sure I have gotten behind taking this...moment." she smiled. The rest of the couples where moving from the platform and out into the land with there families and friends.

"I will follow you," then jumped from the platform into the isle motioning for her to come to him, that she did and he lowered her into the meadow grass below.

"Puck!" Jane was standing in the next isle over moving through the pew to them. Now he was going to get it. "oh, you puck, could there be less warning?! It is a good thing God above is on your side that we had a white dress laying around."

He grinned at the snappy old lady,"It turned out well, Jane."

"that it did, it was perfect." some of the pack was joining them now.

" I have to go, I will be so behind after this." Fer was pushing through the people starting to crowd around them.

"no, I have recruited some help, you wont be too behind." Jane winked. "but you know, in our land, the ceremony is a little different, it ends with 'you may now kiss the bide.'"

Rip stood there, grunted, " the last time I saw that, pup here past out." The others of the pack laughed.

Rook bared teeth playfully and pushed at the older puck. Fer stepped away, "we really don't have time, this wasn't in my schedule for tonight."

Jane scolded, "it is now your night too, the rest of them can wait , Fer, they will be fine." the tent was almost empty except for their group.

Fer came close to the tall puck she had just taken oaths with. Boots up to his knees, black pants, gray shirt with buttons off to the right side of his chest, the long gray guard coat wrapped around him, her bee sat snug under his embroidered collar, that his hair just barely past and hung into his bright, bright yellow eyes that burned with wild but now bound. It didn't seem tame, it seemed extraordinary. The bravery that it took to know what it meant yet still willingly take oaths was breath taking. Now that she had time to think about it, it gave her joy to try this challenge with him.

Placing her hand in his, he bent to her ear, watching with his fiery eyes, "do you want this?"

"more than I can tell you." Her wild glowed, the untamed spirit in her heart flourished.

Tipping his head to hers, their lips brushed, Fer let go of all the things she needed to get done, the ease settled into the ground. Rook pulled her closer, deepening the kiss filing her with excitement that radiated out into the Summerland's wind that picked up speed. The gusts whipped through the giant tree causing several trailing guests to gasp, pushing out the willows branches in large waves, rocking the hanging lanterns.

Fer stepped free of Rook. Rip watched the last few gusts rip through to the outside of the willow blowing up table clothes and knocking over drinks. "Well I guess that's better."


	36. 36 Memories

Exiting the willow Fer was held up by a lord and two ladies, wishing to know if her bound to a puck was in the best interest of any of the lands. She stood firm that the pucks where changing and it was in the best interest of the lands to accept them and work on treaties with the Nathe. That argument wasn't taking root quickly.

"just go find your brothers," Fer pointed to a tall fire at the end of the party, the pucks more out in the open than they had been over the last week, "this may take ...awhile."

Rook watched the lords and ladies of the lands drinking from delicate cups and eating sugary tarts and cakes, "leave you with these monsters?"

A humored breath broke free ," they think the same about you, puck."

"yeah well, I'm the one that's right." Hair fell into his eyes but his eyes still shone bright from behind the curtain of black.

"I'm pretty sure each of you has been right a time or two." Her long dress drug on the ground behind her as she walked away from him done with this conversation.

"Not recently," Rook caught up pulling at her thin middle trying to slow her down.

Her fury shown in the stance she took and the stern words she spoke,"did you burn a good amount of the sand kin territory? We've been gone for a while but here that was only a week ago."

"Well the sand kin's lady isn't here fighting that is she?"Rook looked over the crowd for his sister.

"no, but word get around, Rook. The other lands are not impressed." She pushed his hand from her and moved toward the others, a large round table with an assortment of recognizable lords and ladies, already arguing none of them looking very easy to deal with.

He shrugged sticking his hands in his pockets, "okay, I might have had a monster day, In my defense I was looking for you."

"by burning buildings?" Fer's spirit set against him for the moment, but it didn't usually last for long.

"I am going to take up that offer of looking for brothers." That would be the end of them for the evening.

coming close he stood next to her hoping for a sign of forgiveness which she gave in a kiss just under his ear,"though so."

Fer stood off In to the middle of the tables debating if pucks where worth any standing with over half her guest. Fray stood close with a watchful eye. content that the situation wasn't fine but might go better without him standing there he shifted and galloped off.

out into the pasture where the ways stood the very end of the dinning tables, set with flowers and plates. the company was much thinner out here, just couples that wanted more privacy. Beyond the tables burned a tall bonfire. the last table sat beside Jane's small house and contained Jane, Twig, and surprisingly Rip then Asher. shifting he walked over to the table, lowering into an empty seat.

"what is with you pup?" Rip asked as he sat down.

"Everyone is not happy the Summerland lady is bound to me. She is debating the standing of the pucks to everyone and Maud."

Twig gave a animated eye roll," Maud?! that dirty old fox."

Asher stretched his arms back and placed them behind his head leaning the chair back. "we just need a distraction to get into the damplanders meeting hall. someone that can speak."

Rip spoke honestly,"Jane, your spry enough, you go."

"Oh, Horse hockey." Asher spit out his tea in surprise at the old ladies surliness. Rip could have burst a side laughing at him. "I'm an old lady, puck."

Asher composed himself, "Old? You understand that I near 350 years, lady Jane. You are young here in the lands away from the humans, and just a pup compared to me."

Rook listened interested in there conversation. Was Asher trying to charm Fer's grandmother?! Good luck to that. if Fer had fire in her spirit, Jane had three times as much. Jane was entertaining, but everything she said came out as a scold. Maybe that was why she was entertaining, land pucks like to be in trouble.

Leaning back in his chair Rook could see Fer, she laughed with a lady of the land from the prairie. Then circled a table to talk to someone else that called out to her, with big hand gestures she spoke to him, something about the pucks because the man pointed out to the fire repeatedly. She waved him off and pointed to the way, he couldn't hear her but knew the action from all the times she had told him to get out, go home, my land and you don't belong here puck. She was kick the man out. Grinning he knew he had made the best choice for himself, and hoped he would do well for her. He was no Titus.

Turning back she started out towards him, catching his gaze and smiled, radiant in her white dress. She glowed, happy. Rook bounced a foot thinking, he hadn't planned anything further. She was his now, to come and go yet he would knew that no one would take her from him now.

the field in the prairie land came to mind, or the hollow tree the pack had resided in for sometime would be a grand escape, surely she could take a couples days rest, they had been too busy. Space from everyone else, they could run or swim, hunt- well maybe he should pack food.

Some one else called to her drawing her back into the crowd, out of sight.

Tatter passed the table headed back to the center of the Summerland. "Rook?!"

"What?" why his brothers always interrupted his thoughts.

come sit with us if your going to be out here"

moving to the camp fire, the pucks talked over food and starting a game of first blood. Rook thought about joining momentarily before dismissing the idea. It was probably not best tonight. Scrap moved close, "Fer said she wasn't going to be bound, I'm glad she changed her mind."

"me too," he hadn't expected to be so broken when he had thought she had said no, glad it wasn't still a no.

Across the way several of the older pucks let out defensive barks and shifted. Instantly turning wary he stood to see what was causing the others stress. From between two of the pucks stretched a long black cat with a flickering tail and bright burning eyes.

"Shift already, Isla, what do you want here?"

The black jaguar stood across the fire from him, shifting into a lady with short black hair in airy sand kin garb. "brother, I have been thinking."

a snarl snuck free. Every time he saw her in this time a deep feeling came that she would always cause him harm.

"the ways are all open since Locust and Gwenifer gave up their memory. connected to the dead kingdom, ready for the next plan. All that needs to happen is for someone to go back to the time when the kingdom was alive and give something at the way of time worth enough for a 1000 people to inhabit the empty kingdom land of today."

"The way of time doesn't open again for a year now"

" I think I have a way around that Robin."

"How?"

" you know that book about the science of ways? the one you wrote in and ruined?" she said the last with anger. "I wrote that, I have researched all sorts of ways. I know how to make ways and destroy ways. I just need to solve the problem of how to get all the people of the kingdom to this time."

"well good, don't be doing it here."

Isla laughed and started to circle toward him. "No, see I have nothing. My blood doesn't even work in the way of time anymore because my death would mean nothing to anyone, my land is not fond of me, and my lands people only do what I ask for pay. I have nothing, and only a line from the kingdom can open or close the way, a heir. If I can't do it, it has to be you. So I started to think. You have a pack. You have the ember dragon. I knew I could find something in you worth the kingdom." She strolled around the fire toward him the light flickering orange in her black hair.

"But now I get here and you've went and became bound to that human. Do you understand that it was the humans that made us forsworn in the kingdom?! a human, really brother?" Rook bared teeth, stepping away from her as she came close. "You are a heir and you have many things that would hold the door of time open."

"I am not helping you."

Isla stepped closer to the edge of the fire, standing on the stone boarder around the burning timber. "come closer brother."

trying to decide if this would go badly he moved to replicate where his sister stood directly across the fire.

"I really don't," she spoke quietly leaning over the Fire, Rook mirrored her, "need you to come willingly." From her side she pulled a deep purple stone cut into the shape of a dagger. Moving quickly she cut into the side of body, wrapping a arm around his neck and pulling him closer over the fire. "lugget crystal, blood, and fire is all you need to make a new way brother" He pushed at the lady puck but the more he fought her the quicker the blood pooled under his shirt dripping into the flames. A way ripped open in the middle of the fire, forcing Isla, Rook, and most of the burning wood through.

Falling out into a different dark land on grass Rook stood ready to fight. "No, no brother." taking the stone and cutting further into his side. With a heave, the dark puck collapsed into the grass. "much better." Moving to the burning logs that had fallen through the way with them Isla rummaged through her pockets letting frustrated noises fall from her mouth. "Not a single bottle, and one metal rim?" She held the metal loop between two fingers thinking. Moving toward her brother, she searched his pockets finding the empty bottle that had contained the heart thread remedy.

"you are awfully helpful today, Palio. You have everything I need right here."

Rook rolled on his back trying to sit up and grasping the dagger that hung in his side. Isla looked back over her shoulder noticing the blade, " I am being very scatter minded, I need that dagger." Bending over she pulled it up and over before taking it from his flesh.

Rook moved onto his uninjured side and laid in the grass cursing her. "I am not very found of you sister." Isla was curving the metal ring around the lip of the bottle.

"what was in this?! I don't know if I have ever smelled anything this retched." Rook didn't answer her. trying to think of a way out of this. Isla wondered back over to the burning logs she heated the lip of the bottle.

"I cannot believe you took that human. After what those people did to our parents? That is heartless Palio."

"She has a different heart than them."

"it doesn't matter to me, brother. It is still a mockery of our family." she pulled the bottle away from the fire the lip glowing red hot. She turned and took the bottle to Rook kneeling beside him. She prepared him moving away his hair and sweeping back his ear to make a flat plan to work on.

"Whatever you take, don't let it be the time in the kingdom." he said roughly the cold seemed to be moving through him as he lost blood quickly. Isla became very quiet and pain spread behind his ear, burning. Then his sister spoke.

"It wont be brother, trust me. It won't be."


	37. 37 Lost

Days past, the week ended and the spring became warmer, turning into a few weeks and then a month. Fer worked out in the wild orchard trees that grew apples and pears. Bugs has moved in with the new leaves and needed to be removed if the harvest was to be well this fall.

A collection of beaver men and raccoon ladies helped to coat the trees in a bug repellent. Fer hair was wound tight In a mess of a bun at the back of her head, wisps coming loose as she reached to paint the green liquid onto a thick branch of the fruit tree. A black haired man came to her with a white streak on his forehead to the tip of his black nose. "Shall we break for lunch Ferlady?"

Dropping the brush into a bowl, Fer wiped the sweat from her forehead, "sure Avery, if everyone wants to meet I will send Fray for something to eat." She rung her hands clean on a cloth that hung from her hip pocket, several bees buzzed over her flying off and returning. Motioning to them she sent the fat fuzzy messengers to retrieve Fray.

Their had been no news on Rook, he had left and his pack had looked for him that evening but the next day they all where missing. Still hoping they would turn up somewhere she had visited the nathe the day after at dusk finding it empty. Now she had no idea. It probably had been puck trap all along, but then why would he insist on a thrice-sworn oath? Maybe staying true really meant nothing. He had sworn to nothing. She didn't know, but the work here was keeping her busy. When she felt confident the land stay healthy, in her current uneasy and distrust the land seemed to be aching. These bugs, the meadow dried up after they had cleaned from the celebration. The weather had gotten unusually hot quickly drying up many of the spring herbs that would be important next winter.

And she had sworn to the water kins she would help them with their crops, now she was struggling to take care of her own land. Reminding herself one day at a time, today they would help the orchard and tomorrow, hopefully there would be no more bad news. Each day they would catch up a little and someday maybe Rooks newest betrayal would stop hurting.

Fray came with fruit, vegetables, and bread that her people settled into happily. Leaning against a tree Fer rested crunching into an orange carrot, trying to not let the weight of the lands lay on her but nothing seemed to distract her thoughts for long enough to stay positive. Nearby yellow wild flowers at the base of a broad tree trunk shriveled. She watched them die. No, no, no she had to have control of her emotions. starting to stress over her lack of restraint several more plants died, in shock the carrot fell from her hand and the lands people became quite as the grass around her feet slowly died.

Fray reached for her, "Ferlady, it's alright." The wolf guard grasped her shoulder trying to help, "a tough week lady will take time for the land to heal."

"Fray," she was starting to panic, "Fray I just need to leave the land before everything dies from...whatever this is." Fer spun watching the way the leaves in the trees started to dip as if they had gone without water for too long. This time the summerland lady took the wolf guards arm, "keep my land together as well as possible tell I can return." she shifted into a painted horse and ran as fast as she could trying to touch the least amount of her land as possible.

Reaching her grandmothers home she shifted still running, busting through the front door she startled her grandmother. "Fer?! What has happened now?"

"I need to leave, I can't control what I feel and it is destroying the land." She rubbed at her arm, the skin underneath her jacket feeling parched and dry.

"Fer, its been a tough week, just let it be for another day,"

"No, it cant wait." She was leaving her people that she had said she would always take care of, she wasn't going to be able to help the water kin, to keep from being forsworn, this had to be resolved quickly.

"Grand-Jane, I have to know what happened to Rook. I can't keep my thoughts away from it. It couldn't have been a puck plan "Tatter said Isla took him with force. The pack had seemed concerned ...until they disappeared." The fresh herb sitting on the table waiting to be dried wilted, startled Fer side stepped knocking a coat rack to the ground. Not waiting for a comment from her grandmother she barreled out the door.

Where could she even go, where would 28 pucks go she hadn't tried already? Anywhere, they had lived in numerous hidaways before the nathe opened up. But why? She galloped over the gravel pathway. A glimmer caught her eye, shifting she inspected the grass area better. A way. She felt it, a way to the kingdom. Tatter had said Isla had opened away here, but every time she had looked nothing had opened. Maybe this would be the answer.

stepping into the pool of water, she fell and landed just outside the platform covered in the kingdom. Not the quiet kingdom but bustling. There were a thousand moving about, building, trimming, cleaning. Out of place in the middle of all the gray jacket clad guard, stood Tatter. His yellow wrap covered his waist to knees, matted hair hanging passed his waist.

"Tatter!" Fer passed three or four guard all looking at her, bumping into a lady dragging branches from the stairs of the platform of ways, "sorry." Running into Tatter while apologizing to the lady guard.

"Ferlady, where have you been? I though you would have been here weeks ago."

"NO Tatter, I didn't know where you had gone." she glanced around at the surroundings, "I'm still not sure I've understand where we've gone."

Tatter shrugged, "Rook had said he was going to the summerland and I assumed, you would return with him."

"I never saw him, not once since the festival." Tatters at ease look turned to concern, "Is he here?"

"Him and three others went to the drylands to hunt." Fer skipped up the steps to the dryland way before Tatter was done speaking to her. "He's been to the summerland four times this week! You haven't seen Rook?!"

Fer closed her eyes and breathed deeply, in a whisper she answer Tatter even though she knew he couldn't hear, "no, not once."

The dryland was hot, and without a breeze. The way let out into a market with few shoppers. Most had probably visited early in the morning when the air was cooler. Shifting, Fer heard a lady close to her gasp. It didn't matter, these people could think what they wanted. She kicked up dirt of the market, galloping fast, she wanted to find him, to know why he had apparently been in the summerlands and said nothing.

Fer had an idea of where to hunt in the drylands, not that she had ever been but she had sat around the guard enough to know that boars where choice here. It was too hot for the hairy creatures to be out in the sun, they would probably seek refuge under trees, near a mud shore bank. There were four bodies of water in the drylands, but the only two close to shade. One just out in the burnt pasture grasses, and the other way pass the hills. It was likely the hunting pucks would try for the lake closer first.

Skidding on gravel to sand Fer leaped off the path into the grass covering the ground in front of a row of dens carved into a cliff face. Each had a different colored door. The grass giving better traction, her hooves gripped the grass propelling her faster to the lake, the trees surrounding the lake coming clear in the distance.

Reaching the out skirts of the patch of trees, Fer rounded the lake. The west bank was lined with brown oozing mud with marks that it had been rolled in. Voices came from further into the brush. Crossing over a fallen tree, the way was blocked by a hedge that covered the path, that shook slightly with movement, shadows showing through the breaks in the foliage of someone moving on the other side.

Grasping two long branches Fer pulled the bush apart, a brown hog as large as a cow staring back at her from the other side. Two arrows stuck in the hogs shoulder. Fer released the branches, hiding her from the hog again, and scurried up a tall tree beside her. From the tree top she watched the bore, tear at the hedge with his tusk, pulling the plants from the ground and toss them aside. In the trees behind it sat an archer ready to release an arrow into the hog. Two others stood with the archer, and Rook just under the trees shadows, talking.

The hog broke through the hedge. giving a pitiful leap trying to cross through, but getting caught in the leafy plant. Shaking its head furiously it broke loose and tromped out sniffing and grunting. Rubbing his fat tusks against the tree trunk that Fer sat in, jostling in it.

That was it. She could see him, it made her anger flourish. Rook was fine, and he had been to the summerland and not said anything? Fer unslung the bow from her shoulder and drew and arrow. Pinching the branch she straddled tightly with her knees, the tree swayed from the bore butting its head against the base. Pulling the string back tightly, she aimed for high on the pigs neck. Letting go the arrow struck its mark, the animal leaned and crunched onto its left.

The puck archer had watched the beast fall and shifted from where he hid in the grass, padding out to see the hog. The other two and Rook followed. Fer scaled down the tree, "Rook!" she bounded from the last branch, the black dog with red eyes snarling at her as she passed, Fer glared at it, scolding, "since when do guards growl at people?!"

Stretching across the cropped opening in the hedge she leaped coming face to face with the other two pucks, Rook standing further back between them. "Rook! where have you been?" She pulled her bow tight against her, and brushed her blonde braid back over her shoulder.

He stepped closer, square in the shoulder and standing tall, his jaw was set in distrust, and gave a stance as if ready to fight, hands open at his sides, "Robin," his mouth staying in a snarl that shown several sharp teeth, his eyes burning more orange than usual.

Fer backed up a step feeling fear, that she didn't know this puck, pressing against the hedge wall behind her. "Robin?! since when? Like a decade ago for two days? What's wrong with you?" The heart thread in her chest shivered, strands breaking as the conversation progressed. Rook felt it also, quickly reaching out and snapping the connecting. "ROOK, no! We can't replace it again!"

He stepped closer, "It's not Rook, it is Robin to anyone not in my pack, and you I don't know. I would be cautious with your words." She had never, never felt in danger next to him, and now she felt like he would break her if she continued, but she did, "what is wrong with you?"

Now he bellowed, "Why is everyone asking me that?!" the ground underneath them started to crack and a tree leaned away from the path, creaking before releasing from the soil and falling. He grabbed a handful of her hair, "don't challenge me." letting her go, he passed through the hedge to the other pucks.

Tears welled, she understood even less than she had. Where had this dark anger came from? Kneeling into the brown leaf covered grown, Fer caught shadowy wisps of black smoke rising from her arm. "foresworn?!" Of course she was foresworn! She wasn't taking care of her land, which she had given an oath to do, she wasn't taking care of the water kins crops, and she wasn't staying true to Rook because all she could think of at this particular moment was of bringing harm to him. The tears flowed. She needed to fix this, but the events circled in her mind. Why had he left? Why this anger? Her land was dying. Forsworn. Swirling back around again.

She couldn't stay true to Rook- so whatever happened she would always be foresworn and the forsworn would always kill her land. Surely he was forsworn if she was, unless it had never meant anything in the first place, then he never took an oath to anything, and could walk free. She knelt down into the dirt, scattered with pine needles, dead leaves, and laid down on her stomach resting her face into her patch jacket sleeves and cried. 


	38. 38 Defeated Fer

For awhile rain drizzled through the leaf canopy, matting her hair to her face. Hopeless thoughts crowded together in Fer's mind. How had she let this happen? A clap of thunder echoed overhead, and the rain came down harder, tapping in the soil around her. Pucks, they had always been trouble and always would be trouble, why she let down her defense seemed stupid now, to be bound to Rook who had always had her friendship, and once again he had tricked her. Above the sky became darker and the rain poured into the clearing she laid, soaking through the patch jacket.

Time passed and the weather moved on, the heat of the drylanders returned. The water evaporated making the air sticky with humidity. Fer removed her coat tossing it off away from her sick of anything that brought comfort to her. The dim evening came and went, with no will to eat or return home, Fer stayed laid out in the debris of the forest floor and slept.

Waking to light shining down on her through the tree branches, Fer felt pressure on her arm. Blinking several times she shaded her eyes with her free arm, Leop standing over her and Tatter crouching at her side.

His orange eyes noticing Fer awake, Tatter spoke, "I wasn't done talking with you."

Fer recalled running off through the drylanders way from the kingdom, Tatter left behind. "yeah?"

He rubbed his hand across her forehead, feeling the fever in her Leop watching, "he's broken."

Fer rolled over and sat up, "Who Rook? No, I think he is who he has always wanted to be." standing slowly she stretched her stiff muscles. "Dark brooding anger." The anger swelled in her chest, " let him be what it is, I need to find a way to go back to the summerlands.

"It's not Palio, he lost something bringing the kingdom to this time. Only Isla and the dragon know what. Isla has the dragon bond not to say, and she herself isn't sharing."

"Well it couldn't be manners, he never had those, or tact, or any sort of love!" Fer didn't care that he was broken, how could have he been so cruel to her?!

Tatter watched Fer's response sadly reaching out to steady the lady, "I've been looking for you for two days, just sit for a moment, you have a fever and I want to medicate your arm." Fer stepped to her patch jacket the spice tinted with a touch of mildew smell, she did notice how cold she felt even in the damplander's sun that usually burnt hot.

"Nope, I can take care of it myself, once I get back to the summerslands" Not wanting to stay with these pucks anymore than she wanted to stay with Rook, besides she could treat a fever and a rash.

Black furls of smoke drifted from her, skirting across the ground as she moved. How was she going to return to the summerlands?

Slowly the wind changed from blowing through the trees to blowing down from above, softly at first but became gusts that fer raised her arm to protect her eyes from the harsh burst. The trees above creaked as they bent, the area around them becoming dark now in the shadow of the ember dragon.

Rizes fiery voice boomed from the canopy above, "I need the heart of Sirius." a large branch above cracked and fell no longer standing the dragons weight.

Fer craned up seeing nothing more than red pieces through the leaves of the trees, "well he isn't here Rize!" the gusts of air came back as the trees swayed being freed from the dragons grasp. Loud sounds of the dragons wings followed for a short moment.

Fer kicked at a clump of grass dug up from the tree that had fallen off into the distance angry, thinking to the dragon how much she just want him to eat Rook when he found him.

"don't say those things out loud lady." The dragons head snaked in on its long neck coming up behind Tatter who jumped and came to stand facing him, "you, are bound to Palio. You are the heart of Sirius now."

"oh, fantastic" Her sarcasm lay thick.

The dragon's neck drew out from the trees where he laid by the lake edge, "come here lady."

"dragon, I just want to go home." Fern swept up her things, her fever made her shiver in the warm air as she passed under the trees out to the lake. The dragon watched her round the waters edge, "that doesn't seem wise."

"oh yeah?! And what would have been wise not to be bound to that arrogant beast in the first place!? Now I have to figure out how to save my land on my own." Her boot stuck in the mud of the shore, tugging at it, her foot came loose and she toppled over onto the grass. Frustrated Fer tugged off the remaining one tossing it off onto the lake.

Tatter in anguish from seeing Fer so upset approached cautiously," Lady, wait."

"why Tatter?!" she looked though her pockets for the shifter bone to rush away from here, finding it and feeling nothing but distaste for the shifter in her hand. Digger for the other she held both the bone and tooth in her grasp.

"you know, I don't want these any more." offering them to the long haired puck wrapped in yellow. He made no motion to take them, angering her, with a swift motion Fer heaved them off into the Forrest.

Tatter inhaled irritably, "you knew what you were getting. He has been a storm his entire life, where is your strength to figure this out?"

For a brief moment Fer felt ashamed, it wasn't Rook that she had seen, but something else. He had always been trouble for his own entertainment, but never mean for the sake of causing pain.

"Lady, slow your anger. Listen to me for a moment." The Dragon spoke gently.

Fer didn't want to know anymore, she just wanted away from here, tears started to form again and this time it was the old puck that stood in front of her wrapping her in his arms, "being bound isn't something you give up on when things are tough. It's a challenge. " He felt sturdy and wise. Rook had betrayed her but Tatter and Leop where trying their best even though she was the one being difficult this time. It was stupid to abandon the pucks over this one moment

She couldn't help but cry, the tears only lasting for a moment before she had no more to give, dried out. Her fever made her shake and a fog had started to fill her thoughts.

"You need to listen quickly, Lady." The dragon stretched his neck over the water smoke rolling from his nostrils.

Ready to listen Fer came close to hear what the dragon wanted from her.

"I don't want anything from you but, you are a heir I can tell you what I know." The dragon spoke in her head the images of another moment floating in her thoughts, Rook curled on his side bleeding from a cut down his front to the ground, pale and asleep.

"You know what happened to Rook?" the dragon nodded breathing out a sigh that made the lake water wake. "Tell us all Rize.. please." Tatter and Leop needed to know what had happened.

"I am bound to you, I have to do as you ask." Now booming out he spoke to all of them.

"Palio isn't what he should be. To open the way it takes a heir and a sacrifice worth who would cross through the way. Isla has always desired the kingdom to be reopened, she has worked on it for 300 years, even with all her knowledge of the ways she has nothing to offer to get through the way of time. She has set the kingdom pieces together to restore it numerous times, never being able to offer anything enough to have others cross, before the ways temporary connections crumble and fall apart and she has to start again. But Palio, to Isla has a fortune. Rich in things to offer at the way." The images the dragon let into her thoughts showed the lands all connected by ways in unusual places, floating in the air one of each of the main lands. "with the lands connected to the kingdom everything was ready as she had done many times before, but this time..."the dragons head hung, " I was there."


	39. 39 Opening the Way

Isla voice rang out,"Rize!" she called to the dragon, her voice burdened.

Hearing her call he came from the space between the ways, finding the siblings, Palio collapsed at the ways edge and Isla standing next to him. Landing roughly he questioned the girl, "What have you done to him?!"

"this time, Rize, this is going to work." Showing the heart thread bottle full to the brim with blue memories swimming with silver ribbons.

The dragon listened to Rooks thoughts finding nothing but a clouded headache, "Not if he dies it wont! What are those memories to you?! you can't dump them in the way! they mean nothing to you!" His voice boomed and the lady puck became panic now thinking through the sense he was making. Kneeling to Rook at her feet, ripping at his shirt to find the wound under the fabric. Three long cuts in his side.

"maybe I over did it." She hadn't wanted to kill him, just shut him up.

Pulling several containers from her pockets, picking one long vial with a rolled up cloth that unfolded into a large square. Going to her pocket again she opened one of the other bottles of ointment rubbing it onto the cloth evening and pressing it over the wound. Color coming back to him quickly. "See you just need a first rate healer." Shuffling through the vials she found a tiny brown bottle. holding it to his lips and pouring it in. For a moment nothing happened, "hmm,That usually works right away."

Gasping a breath Rook stirred reaching out to her and grasping the collar of her coat drawing her close, quickly grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back and rolling on top of her. Raspy he coughed, "What have you done?!"

His head ached, his heart hurt, his side burned but was starting to feel better, but most of all it felt like something was spreading like ink spilled into water. Pushing the lady puck into the ground he pulled on her shoulder hard than normal, wanting to cause her great damage.

The lady cried out, "its understandable that you would be angry." he was angry, she had hurt him and something else, something he couldn't place was missing.

"But, you can bring the kingdom to this time now! You Palio, have all the pieces to save our family."

she grunted wrestling with him.

Rook wanted that, he didn't want the people to die, but why wasn't she bring them, "why? what do I have?" He let her go to listen.

Isla stood circling her sore arm, "Let us into the kingdom and I will explain."

Standing gradually, his headache still slowing him, "I just brought spring not one week ago, there is no way to open the way."

Isla brought the deep purple blade from a sheath at her hip, "Rise, we need a fire." The dragon breathed a great flame catching the brush beside the way aflame.

"Better be using your own blood." Rook growled at her.

"That is for making a way. We are just prying a shut way open."

Slicing through the fire the knife glowed hot, dragging it threw the clear pool changing to reflected the dark sky of the kingdom in its surface, "I think the hardest part is over."

"Ok Palio, let us in! " Rook glared.

"Why? You can do it." He was feeling awfully taken already today.

"With what Palio?" She motioned irritably.

He knocked the knife from her hand swiftly the sound of it splashing into the pond below, that changes from reflecting the night sky above to a light blue sky with soft.

"Palio!" Isla yelled at him in shock and anger.

"You are all sorts of willing to offer me up." He swung open his unbuttoned shirt showing the fabric patch splashed pink from blood.

"Fine," not that she could get it back if it wasn't fine. It would take time but she could make another dagger. Stepping through the way the lady disappeared.

"Palio?" The dragon listened to the puck's thoughts hardening to the world around him.

"What Rise? " the question was cold and anger laced.

"I hear you well and your heart...is loosing it's change."

"so?!"It was wrong the dragon could pry at his thoughts without asking, but maybe the loss of change explained why his heart hurt so much, He followed his sister through the pool leaving the dragon behind not wanting to listen.

Finding his sister clasping her hands excitedly watching the bustle of the land below them she squealed happily, the dragon emerged from the way behind them, "alright! dragon call together the guard. Palio and I will ready the way."

"No." the dragon shook his head fighting the bond between him and Isla, "Palio can't pay what you are asking."

"Why?" how was he always left out of what was going on? "what am I paying?!" Isla took the heart thread bottle from her pocket, its tall body with blue liquid swimming with silver ribbon throughout. "What memory is that?"

The dragon could hear his thoughts and hers and had put the pieces together speaking harshly to Isla, "some memories are too intertwined to take Isla!" Rooks head still thudded with pain.

"tell me Rize! What memory is it?" The dragons oval eyes shut as he thought.

"The summerland lady."

"So?" he grasped the bottle pulling it from Isla's hand.

"I don't think you can give it up. The change the human lady brought to all the people changed how the lands work, the pack you have known, and it will be come clear how very much she changed you if you sacrifice her memory in the way."

"But its to save the kingdom?" He wanted that, have his pack meet Ember, Coal, Forl, and the others, to bring his family. He tossed the bottle recklessly and caught it, "The memory of one lady? For the lives of everyone in the kingdom?!" That was a stupid question.

Tossing the bottle in the way in front of them the reflection shimmered to the black night sky they had just came from.

Isla jumped up and down with enthusiasm, "Yes, Palio! You make great sense."

The dragon huffed, black smoke pouring out of his nose with a glow of flames hidden inside his nostrils, "you cannot pay this. You are already different from the moment I landed!"

Rook did feel a blackness spreading that he hadn't know. A desire to cause someone a good amount of trouble. No not trouble it was different, Pain. and for a moment it felt wrong.

Isla chided the dragon, "leave him alone, its too late now, there is no getting that back!" Skipping down the steps she shifted to a black horse at the grass racing to find Sirus.

The dragon swung back to the puck below him thinking how he had loved the puck's heart. Now he was hungry for something dark, it was no use, they should retrieve the kingdom from its destiny to be forsworn and then they would deal with the condition of the young heart.

"coming puck?" He climbed up onto the dragons talon hanging close to its leg.

"Yes." He was tired and still ached, but ready to find Sirus.

Soaring off they easily passed Isla, landing in the courtyard. Rook adorned in the guard uniform matched the others moving from the ways out to the field, to the path on the way to the track. But he moved much faster. Today was the first day of spring in this time, the morning of the spring review, the day the kingdom would become forsworn, and he had the key to stop it.

The double door entry to Sirus' palace stood daunting in front of him, the flame shaped handles gripped in his hands Rook flung the door open feeling urgency, he had to find his father. Quick strides led him through the long hall, guards passed back in forth with lords and ladies from other lands, many here as for the review, Sirus would be here with the troop leaders. All the doors that lead from the hall were open except one.

Coming close he could hear his father, he laughed and spoke and a feeling of acceptance fluttered close. Pressing the door open he only got the entry half way open before hitting resistance. A hand gripped at the edge pushing it shut with a gruff voice, "hey, no late entrance without a good excuse so lets hear it." a face came to view over the hand, Titus.

Of course it was Titus, they hadn't fought the rebels tell later in the evening! He had been at this meeting with Leop and the others. "Palio? go out, get ready for the review." The leader seemed stern but Rook new his heart by now. His jacket sagged on one side and Rook couldn't help but to pet the two small dogs that peeked out of the hiding getting Titus to smile that brought a crease to his eyes.

"No, Titus. Isla has a plan to save the kingdom. No one will be forsworn." He didn't wait for the leader to answer his eyes locked on the man across the meeting table walking around the back chair merrily.

"Sirus?" His voice brought silent quickly and the leaders face lost its smile but his eyes still shown to be amused.

"you are not where you are suppose to be Palio."

"No, I am. Isla has a plan to save the kingdom." No one knew the peril they were in but Sirus, Leop, and Titus.

The rest of them watched uncaring, thinking this a joke, but Sirus ,"continue."

"the way is open to my time. Send everyone that has a land home, and all that live in the kingdom through the way of time."

Sirus laughed now, "You would only get a dozen through before the way would shut, just because it is open doesn't mean it will carry the 1,300 people that live here."

The dragon fluttered down beside the open window its arched opening only allowing the dragons eye to come into view, "Palio's words are true, the way will stay open."

A worried curiosity came over Rook, what had he given? the summerland lady? The dragon thought she was worth 1000 lives to him. His pack with Asher wasn't worth a 1000 lives, he doubted severing a limb into the pool would open the way for 1000 people. He pushed the thought from him, what ever she was, it was too late now.

Sirus put his head in his hand thinking his eyes locked onto his son, "well done." his voice was cold and sad not the usual joyous tone Sirus kept. Stepping from the floor to the chair to the table Sirus paced the length of the wooden top. "It has been long standing secret of mine that today the kingdom would be forsworn." the leaders seated in on the meeting became tense as he spoke. " but it seems my son has given us a way out." He motioned to him looking suspicious, " I want you all to gather your guard and guide them through the lake of time, staying put in that land until we have further information." Many of the guard became antsy,"dismissed," leaving quickly to follow instructions.

Circling the table Sirius came to him heatedly, "what could possibly be holding open the way?! Who gave such a sacrifice?"

Interrupted Isla pushed in through all the leader pucks hurrying out, "Daddy!" She crashed into the man beside Rook embracing him tightly.

"Isla?! It is so good to have you both here together." He cradled her head against his chest, "you are a sight my love." Isla glowed, the tough skin melting to show the girl that she had been searching for. She had been waiting for this moment for hundreds of years.

His pride turning serious, "who opened the way?" Isla stepped away ashamed, she understood this completely.

"I did." She said it unconvincingly in which Sirus eye brow arched already on to his daughters lie.

"Fine, Palio did." She looked at her feet.

Sirus focused back on Palio, "then what? what is worth the entire population of the kingdom?" He motioned around with doubt, he didn't believe everyone would get through the way.

Rook immediately took defense,"I don't know. Rize says it's the summerland lady. But it doesn't matter if it will get everyone through!" Rook thought of passing back out into the yard to hurry guard through, the sooner everyone was back into their own time the sooner he would feel better.

But Sirus must have thought differently gripping his arm, "Fer?!"

Rook shrugged he didn't know but Isla looked more nervous than she had, Sirus gripping at edge of his shirt looking at the patch laid across his side, groaning, he now growled at Isla. "could you not get along for a moment?!"

Irritated with the two of them he stopped off. 


	40. 40 Darkness Spreading

Nervousness grew as the crowds started to move through the ways. Maybe it wouldn't hold open for over 1000 pucks. Four more black haired guards disappeared from the platform through the way, a line of hundreds upon hundreds behind them.

Rook watched three archers their arms loaded with belongings crossing an air of anxiousness over everyone, they had no idea this was saving them from death, but leaving behind friends that had places in other lands, this time was vastly different than the time Rook knew. These people would be out of place for a long time, Sirus stood beside Rook watching the same. "If I had known this was how you would get the kingdom to your time, I would have given up my memory of Zay first."

"Zay?" that seemed absurd. Why would Sirus give up the memory to his wife? they were perfect in there own way. Sure, Zay's memory would be worth the crossing of 1000 people, but this was working, so far the way stood open and he didn't seem pained by it any longer.

"I want you to go see Rize have him try to give you back what you've lost, he maybe able to remind you before the change sets in too far." Why was everyone worried about him changing? he felt better than he had an hour ago. An irritation buzzed in his mind, everyone else needed to leave him along.

The dragon was out passed the horse races, watching Leop, Titus and their guards. A moment at the track would be a good distraction from the tension.

Palio!" Ember and Coal stripped of their coats waited in the fenced in track waving. Forl jumped the short wooden post to join them shifting into a dark horse trotting into the line to race with the others. Rook closed in on the others, hoping the fence and dumping his own jacket into the pile. Shifting his side hurt from the wound Isla had given him not long ago. It seemed a silly reason not to race though.

Lining up with Forl and the two archers, The four itching to beginning, Titus wandering out to them slowly to start the race, Rook wishing he would hurry.

"alright colts, steady, and release!" The four barreling of the line, kicking up dirt from the soft ground, easily turning the first curb of the oval track together, but at the stretch Coal took lead. Rook feeling ache from the fresh cut slowed, anger filling him. This was a race he could win, stretching longer, his hooves pounding into the ground, he gained on Coal but not able to pass his back flank, Forl and Ember falling behind.

The anger grew, a want to reign in the leading horse, the race no longer enjoyable. With a quick snip, Rook bit at Coal with his long straight horse teeth. The puck shifting back immediately, allowing Rook to pass, winning the race.

"You bite me!" Coal walked up the track, pulling up his shirt showing a thick red purple line, prints of horse teeth, it would bruise horrible.

Rook grinned evilly, shrugging, happy he had won. Titus coming to him, "since when do you race dirty?" The leader pushing him, boiling Rooks anger more, bubbling inside and coming out as a punch at the man's face that Titus barely dodge.

Stumbling behind the missed hit, Rook felt the wrong that was flowing out. What was happening? Never never would he try to hurt these friends out of malice. Wide eyed he looked back to Titus who glared at his poor choices.

"Puck!" The dragons voice short and curt. "Your change is almost gone, let me remind you of change the summerland lady had given you. I've been listening to your heart for a long time now, I can remind you of memories Isla has taken."

The idea made Rook irritated. He needed no change! This was who he was, the dragon listening lifted a talloned claw intent to trap the puck in his grasp, Rook shifting into a dog and bounding off into the tall trees behind where he stood, just missing Rize's fast reach.

"Palio!" The dragon's voice boomed in his head and ears, "this will only get worse with time! Come here!" Ignoring the dragon Rook wandered through the trees, traveling a good distance, far enough he no longer heard the other puck at the track.

The trees thinned showing structures ahead, several small houses, something that looked like a supply shack. Two pucks with short hair, one with red eyes the other with orange worked at breaking the lock to the small supply building. Shifting Rook itched to join them.

"Hey, get lost!" the stouter one with orange eyes pointed coming as if to fight. The red eyed puck having a dagger in the opening of the lock.

Rook said nothing watching them struggle, it seemed they would gain entry easier another way. Circling the shack he found a cracked board on the backside, with two kicks the board was broken, using the shifter tooth from his pocket, Rook changed back into a dog, fitting comfortably in the hole.

From inside he twisted the lock opening the door, the two others grinning. "Good thinking." The red eyed puck peered inside, "with everyone leaving, I figure we might as well take some things with us." Stepping into the dark room, they looked at the shelves, garden tools, chicken feed, a chest with coins and jewels hidden behind canisters. They had known what was in here.

Exiting the orange eyes puck spoke, "I'm Nate, and this is Sebber. Thanks for the help..."

"Rook." He didn't know why but he wanted to gain these puck's trust.

"That is the last of what we were looking for, are you headed for the way of time? Seems this place is destined for devastation." Rook shrugged, he didn't want to be by others. These pucks seemed like a safe bet, they had no idea who he was or what was going on. They didn't ask stupid questions.

Following the others they walked back up the path toward the ways. Each building, den, the race track, the fine meeting house where Sirus and his family stayed, everything was eerily empty.

Sebber pulled the bag on his shoulder closer to himself,"strange with no one here." Rook started to hope the way had not closed, it seemed unlikely that everyone would make it through and it was starting to look as if they were the very last.

Taking the stairs to the platform where all the ways reflected different lands, the middle way still awake showing the dark night of his time, the two new companions not wasting another second and traveling through, Rook right in step behind.

On the dark platform in his time Rook met his father, "1,357 pucks. Several others, one dragon. Everyone has crossed my son." Sirus reached out but Rook skipped from it.

"then why is it still open?"Rook looked at the warm blue sky reflected in the pool at his feet, angry. Anger at himself, anger at his father, anger at the others, and anger at the way. Nothing should be worth this much to him. It was a lie, the way was wrong, never had anything in his life been worth this much. Swallowing hard Rook tried to push the idea out of his head, but failed. Something had been cut from him, there was something missing and it felt wrong.

"It will stay open until the memories worth are depleted," and true enough the way stayed open another three days.

Rook stood at the edge of the land, the long grasses of a meadow swayed with the wind. Under thick trees he hid not sure of why he had came, Nate appearing at the way from the nathe.

"the summerlands again?!" This had been the fourth time he had found himself here this week. The kingdom in this time was fantastic but this place, the wild feel of this land pulled at him. Sometimes not sleeping, he sat here through the evening until morning wishing to know why this land caused an ache.

"Come on Rook! Sebber was looking for us, let's hunt." Rook nodded slowly, a rabbit would be a fine distraction and the summerland bunnies were choice.

"Sebber is looking for a bore in the drylands." The idea seemed fascinating, a big game hunt would be better than the little rabbits.

"Sure." Rook watched over the still land one more time before leaving, the thoughts missing pieces, wishing someone would fill them in.


	41. 41 Problems

The story finished Rize stood, his wings unfurling from its sides and stretching high above him. "Wait! Then what can be done?" Fer stood hurriedly not wanting to loose this chance to talk to the beast.

The dragon shook its wide head, "nothing lady. He refuses to return to the way he was, stubborn and angry. The change you brought to the lands lost, now resembling the land pucks even further, his heart beating the same as the pack leader Asher." His head sliding up toward the sky readying to leave. "Tonight Sirus will make him lord, the lands here different in this time and Sirus feels it is best to pass the crown on. If anything can be done it should be planned with haste, I fear for the people under his leadership."

"Lord of the kingdom?!" Fer stammered at the idea, Tatter beside her holding a grimace of disbelief.

"He would do well, his heart had been well formed for it. The blackness that pools in it now must be removed." Saying nothing more the dragon shot from the ground his quick bound propelled him further out into the sky where his great red wings spread and pulled him far into the distance.

Fer felt faint, black wisps still floated off her arm, forsworn, the drylander sun now higher in the sky beat down through the breaks in the tree canopies, Fer thankful they were not in direct light. Even under the trees the air baked like an oven. "It seems awfully hot," her words sounding funny as they slurred, noticing a thick dryness to her mouth Fer coughed having to breathe quickly to recover, feeling out of breathe, a black tunnel circling her vision.

Fer laughing sadly, "lord of the kingdom?! What a stupid idea." Before stumbling sideways, her knees giving out and crumpling into the grass, thinking the light shining through the trees above lovely and blacking out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Slasher bobbed his head from side to side sick of waiting, the other pucks gathered with. Scrap sat next to Tatter, then Asher and Rip. A ocean of pucks beside them, not acquainted with all of them, but becoming familiar. A tall fire burned at least a horse length long, and stretching at lest twice and tall. Impatience finally getting the best of him. "Asher, can't we leave?!"

"No." the pack leader not amused, sat in the tree line with the rest of the pack arms crossed watching.

Tatter watched over the crowd, other leaders from other lands had joined to see the occasion of the new land taking a new leader, but most of them staying at bay, the Summerland people the closest familial with pucks traveling their land frequently.

Finally, movement came from the white stone building, great columns holding up the roof, the door handles formed to look like licks of flame twisting. Sirus with two great black cats in tow approaching the edge of the steps.

"Yes," Asher hissed, the pack becoming ready for the puck plan at hand, several shifting to black sleek dogs, "as soon as the coronation is completed, take your brother, the new lord."

Sirus spoke, his voice loud and calm, "I hope it will be pleasing to the lands to have my son as the new lord of the kingdom!" Rook coming from the shadows, dark hair over his face, no emotion over the title. Sirus pointed him down the stairs to the empty grass in front of the building the ancient trees of the land coming sleepily from the brushes, creaking as they walked crowding around speaking quietly to Rook their words too low for the rest to hear.

"Tatter go, we will be only a moment," Asher growling, his red eyes ablaze above a stiff grin, trouble on the horizon. The healer shifting into a black dog and disappearing into the dark shadows under the tree cover, the wind whipping up, the thin branch like arms setting a crown of budding twigs that spouted tiny leaves encircling the headdress sat upon Rooks head.

Cheers erupting from the pucks, Asher's pack watching, waiting for the signal. Leop taking Sirus back into the building, the time coming closer, Titus setting in behind the new lord, more of the Asher's pack shifting to dark dogs in the sea of kingdom pucks, their skin jumping with energy waiting. Rize swooping in from above finding a wide patch of grass to land into, pawing the ground as he settled.

"Go now," Asher shifting himself, the pack of brothers swiftly passing through the other pucks, finding thin passages in between those sat in the grass. Their conversations light and celebratory, changing as they 24 pucks passed, like wolves in the midst of sheep heading faster with every second to the palace that Sirus stayed in.

Guard shifting and taking several of the land pucks, holding them unsure of what was happening. Others observing standing to see what the ruckus was caused by, Asher dashing forward the others following and catching up in speed. The last of the crowd already aware something was wrong moving out of the way for the pack vaulting forward over the few left between them and the new lord of the kingdom.

"What Asher?" Rook stood unafraid, his black spirit clear in the stance, standing against his old pack leader.

"Come with us," the pack dark and menacing coming close, no one expecting Rook to come willingly wide grins spreading, burning happily of the fight that would be at hand.

"Why would I?" Rooks yellow eyes flickering knowing he was defining the leader.

Asher saying nothing in return, lifting his chin to the evening sky, sucking in his cheek, a small wish the pup had just listened, before nodding.

At once the others advanced, for a moment Rook wrapped by three brothers, the lands power in him spiking, vines from the ground rooting up and pulling them off, a dark cackle coming from the puck. Another two jumping at him, their dog forms meaning to knock their brother to the ground, finding a plate of dirt rise up between them and their target, his entertainment in the fight chuckling out of sight behind the dirt wall.

Titus still at the new lords back, clasping a hand on the pucks shoulder, Rook shrugged off instantly. "Titus, I do not need nor want you here," Turning to argue further, the leader puck giving him no time, placing a well aimed punch into Rook's nose, the strike landing the dark puck into the grass.

Widespread unease crept, the people gasping at the fallen lord. Several guard headed to Sirus, but Leop guarded that entrance, well prepared for what was planned. In the shock of the moment, Rook stunned, giving the opportunity to his pack to race him away.

Heading for a building off to the north from where the celebration had been held, trees hiding most of the structure, its dome shaped door open, Coal waiting in the entrance, bleak.

"It isn't good," the archer speaking with Titus tagging along with land pucks, the new lord of the land dazed but awake being pushed along until the pack reached the doorway and shoved him in.

"Alright, I'll take it from here," Titus speaking to Asher, "but stay close in case this goes way ward..." the orange eyed puck with short hair pressing through the others to get inside the building, shutting the door behind him.

Inside, Rook sat upon on the ground, rubbing the bridge of his nose, not paying attention to the motion around him. Tatter soaking a wide cloth and wrapping it around the neck of someone on the table, water dripping from the edge of the surface, running off into a dip in the floor.

Crouching down Titus came to eye level with Rook, having been friends for a good year but not recognizing the puck in front of him. The change in Rook's heart far too deep, it sat in his face in shadows and the way his eyes glared. "Listen to reason," Titus' words already hitting a wall, Rook not listening, "you need to heal."

The building made of wood frames covered in a clay started to crack, small fractures dashing up the walls, pieces breaking off and falling to the floor as Rook stood, "I need nothing more than for all of you to leave me alone!" The level of his voice shaking the room, the clay walls chipping further.

"Alright, let that be the deal. Do what I ask today and we will leave you alone." Titus stern, crossing his arms and waiting for an answer, Tatter behind him emptying the bucket he hand been soaking the clothes in and pouring it out onto the table.

"What is it that you want Titus?" Rook growled.

Motioning behind him to who Tatter attended to, "give your first kiss as lord of the land to the girl and be on your way."

Stepping closer, water ran free from all the edges, the floor pooling with it, not able to drain away fast enough, Tatter standing in a good depth of it. A lady with blond red hair, black wisps radiating from her yellow scaled arms, a glow coming from beneath her shirt, golden yellow beating with her heart.

"She wilding and forsworn, and not able to take it from herself. Save her and we will give you your freedom," Tatter spoke, cupping water in his hand and pouring it over a cracking in the skin of her neck, the moisture sinking in and healing the dry patch.

Leaning over her Rook seemed unimpressed, "no, it feels like a trap." The instant the words came free from his mouth black threads of smoke rose from his shoulders, now sat against her, his thrice sworn oath broken.

"Now you are both forsworn!" Titus threw a hand into the air frustrated, " you do this to keep yourself from going any darker."

The wisps worrying, Rook watch them, a black swirl of smoke drifting from the back of his hand. It was just a tale anyway, not able to remember his time with Fer, the idea of a healing kiss seeming ridiculous. The girl reached to Tatter with long thin fingers, her wrists had become transparent the yellow in her chest shining out there at the base of her hands. "What is she wilding to anyway?" Curious of the way she opened and closed her mouth as if the breathe but didn't.

"Her mother was a water lantern," Tatter removed the towel wrapped around her neck and rewetted it, the slits in her neck now wider than they had been the wilding coming quickly. The water lanterns, wild and graceful creatures- half man half fish, their bodies clear, the color of a heart beating in their chests radiating throughout.

"Then give her the antidote!" The healer puck had treated many wilding creatures, why wouldn't he be able to treat this one? proving it was just a trap...

"I have!" Tatter glared, nodding to a tray of tea ,the kettle sitting in a puddle of water, empty. "It will take something more."

The girl's eyes flickered open, a pale blue, framed by thin eyebrows that knotted sadly, cutting through the darkness, causing a momentary laps in judgment. Crippling the ill mood for the briefest second. What would it hurt to take a kiss from the lady? Her wild blue eyes pointing to something lost that he grasped at. The feeling growing in the pucks chest, but unplaceable. Wanting to find adventure with her, run with her, stay true to her... Enough to twist closer and brush her dry lips, she didn't return the kiss, barely having hold of who she was, loosing to the wilding.

Still the land turned. The wind rushing in through the door and out an open window, making the panes slam back and forth. Medical supplies rattling in the shelves, ripples in the cracked walls worsening. Circling around Rook who had stepped away, alarmed, the bluster sweeping his hair up and tugging the coat at his shoulders before tipping back, suspended for a moment in the gale,then collapsing into the floor.

Tatter gestured to his brother awkwardly deposited on the wet floorboards under their feet, hissing, "that was not the puck plan!" Heaving another bucket from a line of several Tatter soaked the rag into the water and rung it out over Fer, her skin drying out faster as she wild further, "weren't they both suppose to be healed?!"

Titus shook his head, shrugging, prodding the colt on the floor with the edge of his boot, "I guess not." The door bursting open to them, Sirus standing in the door way, finding his son unconscious on the floor.

"TItus!" the man bellowed at his guard, now gaping, Titus trying to decided what to say. The thought of using the pucks kiss to heal both him and the girl had been well until it hadn't worked.

"It isn't as bad as it looks," stammering and backing away towards the table the summerland lady laid, Sirus changing his focus from the son to the girl.

"Wilding?" He spoke to Tatter in a constant effort to keep the girl wet.

Tatters dark orange eyes watched Sirus, not as familiar with this puck,"Yes, I'm afraid there is nothing to keep it from being completed," Fer's eyes closed but her hands pulled at the towel around her neck, itched the skin on her arms, dry and cracked again. Sirus stood at the edge of the table knowing this to be his sons Zay. The lady that had stayed at his side in the kingdom in the past, the two a fine pair, their marriage having paid the cost to rescue the kingdom. The kettle of tea next to the table empty, the antidote usually helping quickly, yet as Sirus stood over Fer the scales in the girls arm become more defined, the girl gasping unable to breathe, the towel around her neck too dry to pulling any water through, Tatter changing it.

Sirus drew Fer close unconcerned of how water poured of the table onto his fine attire, scooping an arm under her. Tatter reached out to object, laying another wet cloth across her arm where she had tore at her own dry skin, " she's my brothers wife."

"That makes her a daughter of mine," stepping over Rook's outstretched arm heading for the door. Tatter alarmed cupping water in his hand and dripping it over skin that cracked on Fer's check.

"You have said that the wilding will be completed. She will thrive much better with the rest of the water lanterns. We will take her to the damplander's land." Outside twenty more pucks all dressed in the long gray coats of the guard, attending to their leader, Sirus motioning to the dark pucks, their eyes all burning bright in the deep night, " fetch the kingdom's lord. Take him to my house," several hurrying into the building passing Titus and Tatter. "The rest of you accompany me to the water lanterns lake," Sirus kissing the summerlady's hair, " I fear in saving us Palio's heart is lost and my daughter-in-law may decided to not let the antidote work, leaving us because of it." striding in the direction of the ways, intent on letting the lady be release to the wild, return to the water lantern heritage, and leave all the problems of this days into the past.


	42. 42 Staying True

Guards filled the chairs of the large marble table. at one end sat Sirus, conducting a meeting filled with guidance for the day, giving assignments, and instructions. At the opposite end slouched Rook burning to leave, between the two sat 30 others. He hadn't been listening until Sirus decided it was necessary for him to be involved. "Palio," he said it in a way to strike fear, but Rook did not respond only glaring down the length of the table at his father.

"Palio, go to the waterkin to help control their hog population, they are ruining the crops that were put in late this spring."

A heavy sigh he contemplated. "Sirus, I can't." everything had became still. No one would dare to tell Sirus no, he may not be king any more but he still had honor and respect of all the guard.

"Why not?! Is that a land you have been especially caring of? Explain yourself."

leaning more into the arm rest Rook thought. he had been taking care of the waterkin. Fer was gone and she was sworn to help them. The summerland still suffering without a lord or lady, he had taken it upon the guard to assist in Fer's name, hoping it helped her not be forsworn to them, but still he didn't want to explain why he couldn't go today. "I can't"

Sirus stood not to be defied in his own house. Rook sat straighter running a hand through his hair cursing in his head that this couldn't have gone smoother.

"You will, son, you will." The mans orange eyes could have burned down the back half of the building.

Rook sighed to his father, "28 days Sirus."

Sirus spoke angrily, "So?!"

Rook stood trying to stay calm. "Fer. She has been wilding for 28 days. Today if not yesterday will be her last chance to be healed of this, and I spent the morning in the Drylands with that wretched fire. If you send me to the water kin..." he knew deep inside that this would be his last chance, "I just want to try today."

Sirus wavered not realizing the colt had still been trying to retrieve the girl from the lake. The dark night they had put her in only weeks ago, had seemed so hopeless. The father pleased to see his son return to the puck he knew, the dark anger gone again, healed by the land, even if it had cost the lady.

Sirus boomed, "Fine Palio. But take others. Go to the damplands and then onto the water kin."

"NO, it's ...hard to watch, and I can't say today will be well." Sirus glared and Rook making him changed his answer. "Fine, I will."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Scrap bounded to the lake in front of the others, Rook , Tatter, and Leop. Rook tossed his pack on top of Fer's bow, and quiver. Over that he piled his coat, boots, shirt, belt.

"what are you doing colt?" Leop watched with dismay.

Rook unbuttoned his pants revealing his favorite ragged shorts and tossed the pants into the pile. "we are not going back to the kingdom after this, and I don't want to be soaked for the rest of the day."

"You know that explains nothing."

yeah well, he wasn't going to explain anything. They weren't here for him, they were here for Fer. Ready to find the lady he walked to the lake's edge expecting a golden glow waiting as she usually was but found nothing.

lowering into the water still no light came, "I should have been here earlier."

"Why?" Tatter asked standing at the edge starting to sit, hanging his legs in the water.

"she must have given up waiting." Now sitting so the water waked at his chest.

"is she here, brother?" the young brother scanned the water back and forth.

"Scrap, were could she go?" no channel in or out of the lake, the water refreshed by the near constant rain in this land.

Leop was loosing patience, "we have other things to do today, put yourself together and move out."

"No, Sirus said we could stop, and we are doing what we are told, leave it Leop."

"because your bath is more important than the water kin?"

Rook turned weeks worth of anger coming to a head, growling he searched for the shifter tooth in his pocket ready to let some of the aggravation out, finding nothing. Searching his other pocket and then calm. The golden light reflected off many of the trees and the guard standing there. Fer stretched out of the water, his shifters in her hand.

Fer spoke with the voice of a water lantern, an echo of her voice with reverberating with another, "You weren't here!"

"there was a fire in the drylands." Rook reached out to her pulling closer by her arm out held to him, letting her hold his shifters. Her body trailed behind her, glowing golden, a unfurled tail of yellow sparkled wildly as it swayed back and forth keeping water waking at the gills on her neck.

Scrap stared, "that's Fer?! she glows!" he stepped down closer to poke at her arm where the gold on her shoulder met the clear of her arm. Quickly becoming alarm, "Rook, she has a tail!" The brother ignoring the small puck.

" She looks like Fer, her skin is so strange." Scrap stepped closer to inspect her clear arm.

"Watch out she is touchy."

"Like how?"

Scrap inched closer and Fer's attention turned from Rook to little Scrap. Feeling his hair, and his coat, then the end of the bow he carried she plucked at the string. Watching his face she became sorrow filled.

"Rook?" she asked a question.

He picked at the gravel on the rocks,"What, his name?"

Fer nodded.

"it's Scrap. " She dived the golden light disappearing.

"Where did she go? Why doesn't she know me?"

"it's not Fer completely, she is wilding, a lot of creatures that wild don't talk, she is not thinking clearly. She still thinks I'm two people. Rook and Palio. Palio for all the things I have ever done wrong and Rook for everything else. I don't know."

"but where is she."

"breathing. She will be back. The more she talks the more she breathes. after awhile she will just sit and listen, when she gets too tired."

Fer returned a couple arm lengths away, Rook started to climb out of the water which made her come close quickly and reach for him. Standing just out of reach she broke the surface to speak.

" you weren't here." Repeating what she had already said.

"I know I wasn't, but today. Today is your last day to decide if you want to stay a water lantern or come home. I can't say if you decide to stay here I will come everyday any more. do you understand?"

"I don't want to come." Fer swam away from the ledge her hair spreading wildly under the water as she sunk deeper, only her face above the surface.

" but why?" The idea still infuriating that she would choose this lake, this life over the summerland she loved so freely.

She dipped beneath the water and circled around under the surface returning quickly. "I've failed my land, the lands that I had made oaths to, I failed Grand-Jane." She dived and quickly circled the mouth of the lake continuing as soon as she returned closer than before her echo increasing as she became frustrated. "Palio, I'm bound to Palio and my broken hope makes my land die."

"Fer, all those things are fixed. Your land is well. The fruit was saved. Grand-Jane replanted herbs, she wants you home. The water-kin have crops in that we are headed to see now." Rook rumbled irritated, knowing he told her this twice a day for the last month.

She dived deep and came back. "If I return I will harm the lands again."

Rook growled at the others, wishing he hadn't brought them.

"NO! no you wont!" he walked the edge of the lake following her as she started to round the body of water again, disappearing for awhile, coming to the edge when she returned, he knelt to her.

She was getting tired and dipped underwater again.

Pulling the remedy from his pocket he offered it to Fer's hand. "I come everyday to stay true to you lady. Take this to stay true to me."

"to stay true means nothing," her disheartened thought echoed.

"no, Fer it means everything. That I'll do something I don't want to for the better of you. Please take this." She took the vial and disappeared under the water. the golden light flickered away discouragingly.

Rook began to redress standing in the path that ran the course of the lake. Everyone was quiet, Rooks thoughts ran away,not sure if he ever wanted to visit again, having been here twice a day since he had regained his own baring. Tucking in his shirt he picked up his coat and slung it over his shoulder leaving the pack, bow and quiver in the grass. Scrap retrieved them but Rook quickly scolded him. "Leave it, its Fer's and since she has chosen to stay in the lake, her things should stay here too."

Leop started to the way,"you really think this is over?"

"Yes." Rook heading to the way that would take them to the waterkins. If nothing else he could keep her from being forsworn for not taking care of their land.

Tatter ripped the coat off Rooks shoulder growling," You have been a storm your entire life, let it be for a moment."

Rook turned not feeling anything. Tatter couldn't just let him live with his anger for a moment. Watching Tatter was at the edge of the water wrapping Fer in his coat. His heart skipped several beats before he could even head in the direction of the lake. Moving closer he saw Fers thin legs hanging in the water her skin still clear and scales covering her arms slowly disappearing.

"Scrap bring my pack." The pack held her clothes that he had been bringing daily. Hopefully Fer would get her mind back quickly to dress herself.

Patting the water off her face, pushing back hair she spoke with one voice."Rook?" He said nothing waiting to see what sense or non sense would come out of her. "Where have you been?" great the same question she had asked every day. He didn't answer that either.

"We were in the kingdom and you didn't know me..." Like pieces to a bridge she would put it together.

She coughed, the light radiating from her dimmed, then she laughed. "It was a dream. I dreamed, I was a water lantern, that you where in charge of the kingdom in this time, that we were... we were..." her eyes connected to his searching for truth. "maybe it was a nightmare. We were both forsworn, I had lost peace in my land, couldn't take care of my oaths." Looking away she realized she was sitting on the edge of her mothers lake, bare, wrapping the coat closer around herself.

Like a stone sinking into a lake Fer began to panic. "We _are_ bound!"she motioned to Rook angrily. "I am forsworn!" She stood shakily in the wet long gray guard coat that wrapped around her frame, " Did I... did I just wild?!" she was jabbing a finger into Rooks chest, "Why don't you know who I am?!"

Rook tried to calm her, "Fer slow down. Don't turn again..." He looked to Tatter wondering if that was possible.

Scrap offered her the bag he had been snooping through, "clothes ferlady."

"Thanks Scrap" she calmed now noticing Leop. "The kingdom is here?"

"Yes" Tatter was making gestures to the others to turn their backs while Fer tried to dress her land legs still weak.

Rook stood next to Leop who beamed, apparently happy to see the issue partly resolved, but Rook was still having trouble feeling anything. Emerging in front of the others dressed with wet hair that may not dry out for days she picked up her bow and quiver tying it tightly to her body. She had lost weight which shouldn't have been possible.

Leop took charge, "Well good we have another archer, move out." The group followed directions wandering towards the ways.

Fer asked a new question with every step. Answering each question anger began to sit within him. He didn't want this, he didn't mean to leave her but even if he did, since when has she been so dependent that she became weak herself? It was hard to contain but he let it pass for the moment.

After awhile she questioned him,"why are you are so quiet?"

"Fer." the emotion couldn't be contained any longer. Standing Firm in the dirt he wanted his question resolved before they moved another inch. "I leave you without saying anything all the time. Why did this time dissolve to forsworn and wilding?"

"I know that our oath was a trick." She believed it still, even with her mind restored, she believed their being bound was false.

"It wasn't a trick, Whose trick would it have been, mine? No. Ashers? I wouldn't give a thrice sworn oath for a puck plan! Be bound just to entertain the pack? Like a three legged cat only good for a laugh?"

They had fallen far behind the others yet Fer whispered harshly, "you were gone that evening, then the nathe was empty that very next morning. All the pucks, gone. I thought for a week that you would show up again but after that I just knew I had been fooled."

"A forfeit had to be given, Fer. For 1000 people to cross over through the way. Isla knew she had nothing she could pay so she took your memory from me like she tried to take my memory from you. I didn't remember you or being bound." Nothing more true had come from him, she had to understand, he hadn't given her up on his own accord.

Fer's pushed at him, " that doesn't explain how very angry, mean or awful you were." She watched him swallow hard.

"it does. Your spirit brought change to everyone in the lands, the pack, and me. I guess that is what I would be if I had never known you. Something closer to Asher and Rip." He leaned on a tree tugging the bark free and tossing it off into the grass, the idea of what he had been for that month was a frightening thought, "it's not what I want."

"then how do you know me now?"

Rubbing his neck he found something, taking her hand and putting her fingers behind his ear. A whirlpool with 8 points that covered the half moon scar Isla had left. "that is impossible it only works once."

He paced not wanting to tell her. "Sirus doesn't know these people or these lands. He made me king the day the kingdom moved to our time."

The idea dawning on her, "your first kiss as a leader of a land."

"guess so," this conversation was wearing, ready to move on from this.

"as your first act after being a water lantern for 28 days, what do you want to do?"

"food. All they ate was fish. I picked at the water plants but those were awful."

Right, "well," he put both hands in his pocket, "we have to go to the waterkins land, since Sirus sent us it's not a choice, I will find you food if you like." Fer nodded emptily, tired and weak. "You can see the crops the guard have put in." She stumbled and put out a hand to steady herself. "You have fish legs for a month and can't walk any more?" He tugged her close and wrapped her arm in his.

"No, at least, I don't lose common sense and turn into a monster." She thought of meeting him in the woods and how cold he had been, just a stranger not even a foe. Fer would have hated to see what someone actually apposing him would have received.

"of course, because wilding didn't turn you into a mush melon..."

She cracked a grin,"mush melon?"

"yes, I've shown up here at that lake everyday for 28 days. You asked me the same four stupid questions everyday, If I was Palio or Rook, where I had been, about the 'trick' of us being bound, and why you kill your own land. I've never felt so ridiculous, sneaking away to talk to a fish, who most days didn't even like me." Fer slowly entertained over the puck, usually focused on amusing himself giving so much time to take care of her.

She beamed, "you are true to me."

Happy to see the light in her eyes return, Rook squeezed her at his side, "of course, I have been for awhile now. Then I think...Isla interrupted my plans. we could head out to that."

"your plans? what about my land and work?!" Now intent to see the summerland, wanting to know it was well.

Rook leaning into her starting to gain a fragile optimism that she was beside him,"pfft, the guard has it taken care of for a moment, besides I am the king."

"Wow." Fer stopped in her tracks, lifting an eyebrow to him, "that is going to get old, I don't care what you are I need to see the summerland."

"After the waterkins, we can go to summerland, and then my plans." Edging her on, the ideas of having her back bringing many thoughts. Not having any real adventure for weeks.

"ugh, puck plans," her thoughts not picturing the same thoughts to that particular phase.

With a wide eyed roll he protested, "no, not ugh. Just a couple days, or one day, or an hour? Even if just to sit in the summerland and hash out what we've done."

"What? the Foresworn? or the Wilding? It happened... There hashed out." Fer's spirit licked flames of wild.

"what about coupled?!" They were bound, how could she pass that up so quickly? "That wasn't a trick and it is done. If you are still unhappy with it..." He shook his head, the notion that maybe she was displeased being bound to him growing. Wishing momentarily he could take back that evening, that they had never been coupled, then neither of them would have been forsworn, and Fer had never wild.

The dirt that shown through the grass that had been worn away from those that passed to the way cracked as they walked. Rook watched the small lines, not enough to cause trouble but knowing he really had limited control over the land's powers and thinking that within a months time of returning from the kingdom he had already ruined anything between himself and Fer made his heart dry and fractured, showing in the dirt under their feet.

It wasn't anything that could be fixed now. "I'm unhappy to think you didn't want it." Fer spoke pulling apart a dead leaf from the trees they walked passed.

"But I did want it. If you became someone else's, I don't know what I would do, and if I never kissed you again, if you never kiss me again..." The thoughts flooded from his heart, the wild lady of the summerlands in front of him had to be his, if nothing else belonged to him he would be happy just to know she would allow him to call her that, his.

The ground cracked further, Fer noticed now, the lines wide enough to slip the life in her hand into the openings, her blue eyes searching for his behind the curtain of black hair. "Don't panic," she took his hand brushing back the black strands in his face, "I know the feeling." She thought of the plants and trees dying in her own land and wishing he had been there that day to make it stop. At least today she could be there for him.

A single thread of a heart thread started, planting itself cautiously, "don't break it, there is only two more," Fer warned quietly. "what if I," she spoke as cautious as the heart thread had been, "offer you a kiss, and if you want it... you can take it."

Flaring out his nose he closed his eyes, thankful she had already decided to forgive him, the lands power no longer pulling at him and hooked her closer, to where she fit beside him, as if she had always belonged at his side, "Maybe a kiss will help." Twisting his neck to her, opening his lips to hers and taking the kiss she offered willingly.

"Still maybe?" Fer looked at him smiling her blue eyes burning worse than any puck he had seen.

"yes, still a maybe. Why don't you try right here?" pulling at his shirt to show collarbone where she placed her lips, like a scratch behind the ear to a dog, he had been waiting along time for her to attend that itch.

Realizing that after all this time they were free. The lake didn't hold her, the lands that lived under their care needed little, for a brief moment both of them were together and free to do as they wanted.

"Colt! We were told to go to the waterkin!" Leop returning back from the path toward the way.

"No! Leop, not today." Fer and him had done everything for these people. She had already forgiven him and needed taken care of. Maybe he was different. He was a guard, the lord of the kingdom, and bound to the summerland lady. But still he was a puck and that meant he made his own decisions. most of the decisions was to be different that the land pucks but the decision now was that Fer needed fed and rest and to see that all was fine in her own land, then he needed to remind her what it meant to stay true to her. The fact that she had questioned that seemed deeply broken.

Pulling a deep purple dagger from his pocket, defensively, holding it as if to cause damage to the guard but turning it on himself cutting across the back of his hand welling quickly, callling on the land to bring up a fire in the brush, the small flame flicker.

"What is that?" Fer nodding wide eyed to the knife, not knowing the puck to be one for weapons.

"it's Isla's. She thinks it went in the way of time..." The dagger dripping red into the fire, Rook tried to think over how he had watch his sister create a new way, slicing the air a ripple starting in the fire, a pool widening at his feet the same as the grin spreading across his face, under bright flame yellow eyes.

"Ready?" Cleaning the dagger off on his coat and re-pocketing it, offering an open hand.

Fer sighed "you are trouble, why would I want to follow you, Rook?" Still placing her own hand in his.

"Because I'm true to you lady," Fer coming willingly letting the dark puck pull her towards the unknown way, not sure where it would lead.

"Sure, why not? How much trouble could it cause?" Disappearing through the way, the cool of the damplands mixing with the warm of the next land, promising the unexpected.

THANKS FOR READING MY STORY! IF YOU ENJOYED IT OR FELT LIKE I REALLY MESSED PART OF IT UP, SHOOT ME A COMMENT! I WOULD ENJOY SOME READER FEEDBACK! I DID HAVE THE IDEA FOR A COUPLE CHAPTERS AFTER THIS OF HOW THEIR LIFE WORKS OUT FROM THIS POINT BUT SO FAR I HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH READER INTEREST. ANY WAY I WOULD LOOOVE TO HERE FROM you!

THANKS AGAIN!


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